You Win Some, You Lose Some
by ehcorns
Summary: Koko's just another student at Ouran Academy. When her volleyball teammate and friend drags her along on a short vacation with the Host Club, something happens. In the game of life, you win some, and you lose some. Koko lost something, but she's going to gain something else. A cup of profanity, a teaspoon of blood, and a red bucket full of humor and snakes. OCx?
1. Because We Can

**Summary:**

**Hello there! I've started another fic (shame on me, I know, I should be finishing my other one, but I couldn't help it!). So, here it is. Please review and let me know if you like it!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own OHSHC. The OCs are my own creation, but everything else isn't owned by your truly! **

**Warning: There is profanity in this fic, so read at your own risk. Also, there will be a mention of blood in this chapter, and a scene that some might find unsettling, but there will be a warning at the beginning of that specific chapter!**

* * *

"Do you kids want jasmine or green tea?" Renada Honda asked her children.

"Shhh!" Her daughter shushed, missing her mouth several time with her spoon.

"We're watching Dragon Tales!" Her son added, both children staring at the kitchen's small television; their brown eyes fixated on the funny characters on the screen.

"Aren't you a little old for that show?" Their mother pondered, choosing the green tea.

"You're never to old for Dragon Tales!" Haruto exclaimed.

"You're twenty-four and you live at home, weirdo." Kokoro said through a mouthful of cereal.

"That's off-putting." He replied.

"You should be off pudding." She countered, poking her brother in the stomach.

"Mom!" Haruto whined, "Koko's being mean!"

"Well, she's not wrong…" Their mother mused, scrubbing the counter.

"Maybe you could join me," Their father walked in, dressed in the nines for work, "I'm thinking about getting in shape." He said.

"But dad, round _is_ a shape." Haruto said earnestly.

Jiro fixed his son with one of his lawyer-man death glares, "You are the biggest mistake of my fucking life." He said, stalking out of the room.

Their dad's humor was a little warped, to say the least. Maybe that's why Haruto was so weird.

"But, daddy! How could you say that to your own son?" Haruto cried dramatically.

"Jiro, watch your fucking language." Renada hollered.

Kokoro nudged her brother, "At least we know where you get your strut from."

"I do not strut!" Haruto said shrilly, abruptly standing up.

"Yeah, you do. Like a gay man on the catwalk."

"Yeah, well your dress is monstrous. Someone could die just looking at that dress. I already feel my insides burning."

"If both of you do not shut up in the next ten seconds, neither of you will be allowed to watch Dragon Tales ever again." Renada threatened, waving a soapy knife at the pair.

The brother and sister eyed the intimidating, dark-skinned woman, and then glanced at each other.

"Your face makes onions cry." Haruto said.

"At least when I do a handstand my stomach doesn't hit me in the face." Koko retorted.

"Nine." Their mother counted down wearily, watching the kitchen's clock.

"You're so ugly, you make blind kids cry."

"Eight."

"I don't exactly hate you, but if you were on fire and I had water, I'd drink it."

"Six."

"If I were going to kill myself, I'd climb your ego and jump to your IQ."

"Four."

"The only way you'll ever get laid is if you crawled up a chicken's ass and waited."

"Two."

"What language are you speaking? 'Cause it sounds like bullshit."

"One. There. Now that we've got that out of our systems, off to school and work." Their mother said, shooing the kids out the door.

"Bye, mommy!" Haruto waved, getting in his car.

"You're such a suck up." Kokoro hissed to him as she passed, but she turned around and called, "Bye, mommy! I love you!"

"Now look who's being the suck up?"

Kokoro stuck her tongue out at her brother. "Suck my dick, why don't you."

"With pleasure." Haruto said humorously.

"Ew! Incest!" Koko shouted, hopping on her moped.

Meanwhile, Renada was repeatedly banging her head on the front door, asking, "Why me? Why me?"

And that was a typical morning for the Honda family.

* * *

"So, Koko…" Shiori sidled up near Kokoro's desk, sporting a thick ponytail for the day, "What are you doing this weekend?"

Koko shrugged, "Nothing, really. Probably just watch a few movies and do homework."

"What do you think about going to the beach?" The brunette asked.

"Are you inviting me?" The dark-haired girl countered, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, the Host Club–"

"Ha! I knew it!" Koko exclaimed loudly, earning a few glances from her fellow students in 2-B, "You rarely go to the beach."

"Okay, okay. Just hear me out." Shiori said.

"Shoot." Kokoro said, cocking her head.

"Well, the Host Club has invited some of their customers this weekend on a short vacation to Okinawa–"

"Okinawa? But that's nearly a three-hour flight! Why not just go to Onjuku or Zushi?" Kokoro interjected.

"The Ootori family owns a private beach there," Shiori said, "Besides, we'll get to spend the whole day at the beach, and then relax at a nice hotel for the evening. Wouldn't it be great?"

"I guess so…" Koko apprehensively agreed. She wasn't the biggest fan of the Host Club, but she didn't mind popping in once in a while. Shiori, on the other hand, was a frequent customer.

"Oh, thank you! It's going to be so much fun!" Shiori squealed.

"What's going to be so much fun?" Koko's other friend, sandy-haired Satomi, approached the pair.

"Oh, morning, Tomi! Koko and I are going to the Host Club's beach vacation. Do you want to come as well? I don't think they'd mind if I invited a couple friends. You guys have gone to the club at least once, even if it was _last_ _year_." Shiori replied.

Satomi rolled her eyes with a groan. "Sorry, guys, I can't. My parents have a work party to attend and they want me to come."

"That sucks." Koko said bluntly.

"Mmhmm," Shiori said, "Too bad. It would've been tons of fun with you there."

The three volleyball players dwelled in mutual understanding while they waited for their afternoon classes to begin. Nothing out of the ordinary occurred; not that anything unordinary ever occurred in 2-B. Much to Shiori's discontent, they weren't in the same class as Tamaki, but just next to it. Koko and Tomi were generally indifferent to the situation, glad that they didn't have the over-dramatic 'princely' host in their class.

Later that day, the trio met up in the girl's locker room before volleyball practice began.

"So, if your parents say yes, which they most likely will, I'll pick you up in the limo, and we'll head down to the airport where Kyoya's private jet is. And then we'll fly to the beach and relax in the sun and spend time with the hosts. Oh, it'll be amazing!" Shiori gushed, tugging on her shorts.

"I honestly don't know what you see in that host club." Tomi sighed while perched on the bench.

"It's a chance to stare and flirt with hot guys that won't reject you, what's not to like?" Kokoro mused as she shoved on a shoe. "I mean, at the beach, I'll get to stare at them in their swim shorts. Who wouldn't like that?"

"How could you only like them for their bodies?!" Shiori exclaimed dramatically, "Tamaki is the kindest, most chivalrous man I'll ever know!"

"I don't know about them, Iggy. They're trouble, I just know it. And this trip isn't going to turn out well." Satomi said, particularly addressing Shiori.

Kokoro shifted uneasily. When Tomi had a bad feeling about something, it usually proved true. It was as if she was more in tune with her intuition or something.

"Nonsense! We'll be in the arms of the Host Club! They'll never let anything happen to us." Shiori said dreamily.

"Hello, girls. Are you all ready for practice?" Asked the team captain as she entered the spacious locker room.

"Hey, Azusa!" Koko grinned at the third-year.

Azusa Suwaki was the team captain since last year. Unfortunately, the team had lost several members upon graduation, so they were down to eight total players, way below the usual. At least for practice, they had an even number.

"Azusa?" Shiori asked.

"Yeah?" Azusa answered.

"Are you going to the Host Club's beach vacation?"

Azusa smiled, "Yup! And so is Yuriko." Yuriko Aika was also part of the team, and Azusa's best friend.

"Great! I can't wait. It'll be so much fun!" Shiori enthused.

The rest of their team members had begun to show up, and soon the locker room was filled with chatter. Kokoro tuned out the conversations, turning to Tomi.

"Do you really think something bad's going to happen?" She asked, slightly unnerved now.

Satomi ruffled her bleached pixie cut, "I'm not sure, Koko. Just be careful."

"I try, but for some reason I end up in the worst of situations." Kokoro replied with a quirk of her lips.

Tomi let out a chuckle. "I think you're just a danger magnet."

"All right, chickadees!" Azusa hollered above the noise, "Coach can't make it, so we'll just be doing drills for today."

A series of groans rumbled through the small group of students. If there was one thing they hated about practice, it was a whole hour of drills.

As they filed out, Koko slung an arm around her tall, long-haired friend. "And I only like them for their bodies because there isn't anything else to like!" She teased, running off when Shiori's face reddened.

* * *

"I think I have a concussion." Koko groaned from her sprawled position on a bench in the locker room.

"Oh, don't be such a big baby, Koko-puff." Shiori said, already pulling on her dress. That girl could move like the speed of lightning, especially when the Host Club was involved.

"Be thankful she let us go early." Tomi said.

"Amen to that." Koko agreed. She was absolutely sure that come the following morning, she would be covered in bruises. Oh, how lovely that would look in a bikini.

* * *

"I am so glad you talked me into this, Iggy." Kokoro murmured, watching her friend flirt with Tamaki on the rock. It was rather funny seeing the lineup of girls waiting for their turn with the club's 'prince'.

Koko adjusted her black bikini as she flipped onto her back. She was hereditarily dark-skinned, so there was no real need to tan, nevertheless the sun felt so warm and relaxing as she lounged on the beach towel. The view was gorgeous; the water was a pristine turquoise, and the beach was as white as snow, and the sun was high in the sky.

A little while later, Koko tossed aside her sports magazine, and made her way to the umbrella table where Iggy was giggling with a bunch of other girls.

"So, are you happy you came?" Shiori asked, twirling a lock of hair as she repeatedly glanced at the blonde host lounging in a chair. Koko noticed that Shiori now had a pretty, red flower in her hair – must've been a 'gift' from Tamaki.

"Oh, yes. Definitely." Kokoro replied honestly. She scanned the beach, deciding on what to do next. She didn't want to lounge anymore, or read, for that matter. She needed to burn some energy.

"Want to go play some beach volleyball? I'm sure Yuriko and Azusa would love to play a game or two." Koko pondered, bumping her friend with her hip.

"I'm up for it." Shiori nodded.

"Great!" Kokoro whirled around to find their two teammates; she saw them over near the 'cool' type of host. "Yuriko! Azusa!" She hollered, getting the girls' attention, "You guys want to play some volleyball?"

Azusa shook her auburn head, "Maybe later!" She called back.

"Damn, it's kind of hard to play with just two." Koko muttered, tossing the beach ball between her hands.

Suddenly, a pair of shadows fell upon the girls.

"Say, we've already played a game–"

"–But we wouldn't mind playing another."

"Really?" Koko stared at the twins with mild disbelief.

"Sure." They said synchronously.

"Great! Let's go!" Shiori giggled, and Koko caught her eyeing the twins' physiques. Now who's the one who only likes them for their bodies?

Koko pitched the ball towards the twin in the purple and black trunks, "Your serve, purple."

"It's Kaoru." He replied with a charming smile.

"And I'm Koko, if you didn't already know. Now are we just going to sit around and talk? Or are we going to play?" She nearly shouted the last part, jogging over to where the other twin was waiting.

"Game on." Hikaru yelled from the other side of the net.

And with that, the four were off on a heated match of beach volleyball. The twins were, after all, up against two members of the school's volleyball team.

"Mine!" Shiori called, volleying the ball.

"Got it!" Koko yelled, spiking the beach ball just out of Hikaru's reach.

"Damn, how'd you guys get so good?" The twin in the red shorts asked as he picked up the ball.

Shiori let out a laugh, "We're on the girl's volleyball team. _Of course_ we're good."

"We're on fire!" Kokoro added, doing a little jig.

Shiori face palmed, "Don't do that. It's embarrassing." She hissed.

"Don't do what, Iggy? This?" Koko asked, exaggerating the awful dance moves even more. She was pretty sure the Americans called it "krumping."

"Oh, please, no, not the–" Shiori groaned as Koko did the snake dance move, "… And you're doing it."

"You wish you had moves as hot as these." Said the dark haired girl.

"I'm getting water." Shiori replied, rolling her eyes and flouncing to the cooler.

"Hey, where'd the twins go?" Koko asked, following her friend.

"Beats me." Shiori said, taking a sip of water, "But, look at Tamaki, isn't he handsome?" She pined, gazing at the blonde.

Koko breathed, "Oh. My. God. Oh. My. God," theatrically thrusting her pelvis at each word.

Shiori's face went absolutely red – a frequent occurrence when in Koko's presence. Kokoro had a bad habit of embarrassing her friends.

"You're so immature." Shiori huffed, tossing her long hair over her shoulder.

"I'm just marinating in my youth." Koko countered, plopping down on lounge chair.

"_Marinating in my youth_." Shiori muttered, walking away.

"Ahhh…" Koko sighed, relaxing once again. The game had tired her out, and she was feeling as lethargic as a sloth.

* * *

"Wake up, Koko-puff." Shiori's soft voice echoed; Koko felt a hand nudge her shoulder.

"Mmhfgh." She slurred, rolling away from the annoying hand. Apparently, she rolled too far, for the next thing she knew, she was laying on the sand.

She spat out the sand while Shiori snickered at her friend's misfortune. Koko sat up, squinting at Shiori's shaded form.

"How long was I asleep?" She asked, scraping sand off her tongue. The sun was low on the horizon, creating a spectacular sunset.

"For quite a while, actually. We are going to head back to the hotel in a bit." Shiori answered.

"Well, I'm going to wash off. I have sand in places where sand should definitely not be." Koko stated, fidgeting in her suit.

"Okay." Shiori said as she headed toward Azusa and Yuriko, both of whom were flirting with Kyoya.

Kokoro speedily made her way into the ocean, splashing through the water like a little kid. Strangely, the water was still. She dove under, and once she surfaced, Koko swam aimlessly in the colored water. It looked like someone had smeared the ocean with oil paints.

Treading water, Koko waved to the girls on the cliff; they looked like ants. Koko noticed that she'd swum quite far out. Oh, well. The sea was calm enough, so she wouldn't get swept out with any whitecaps.

Koko suddenly heard yelling on the beach. She peered at quite a strange scene: Tamaki and the twins were both running, with the blonde holding a red bucket far away from himself. Kokoro cocked her head in confusion. What was in the bucket?

Still floating in the water, another loud ruckus caught her attention. She whipped her head back to the cliff to see the three girls now accompanied by two unfamiliar males. They were too far away for Koko to see what was happening, but it certainly caught the attention of the hosts. Something bad was transpiring, and she needed to find out what. The other girls could be in trouble.

Kokoro had just begun to swim back, when it grabbed her leg.

It felt like a thousand blades piercing her calf. She tried to let out a scream, but water filled her mouth and the salt burned her throat. She thrashed against her attacker, flailing her arms and her free leg. Her foot collided with something smooth and slightly abrasive.

And then, the pressure was gone.

Trying to keep her cool, Koko broke the surface. She swam slowly back to shore, against the intense pain in her leg. Take the agony of stubbing a toe, and multiply it by a hundred. That's what the pain felt like, multiplied by another hundred. She didn't even want to see the damage. All she focused on was getting back to shore.

After an excruciatingly long swim, Koko's good foot hit the sand. She crawled forward through the water.

"Hey, Koko. Are you ready to go?" Koko's friend asked. Unexpectedly, Shiori let out an earsplitting scream. "Your leg! What happened to your leg?!" She screeched.

"Where's everyone else?" Kokoro asked steadily, trying to ignore throbbing.

"They went back to the hotel when these guys attacked the other girls." Shiori said, throwing Koko's arm over her shoulder. "Oh my god, your leg."

"Was anyone hurt?" Koko asked, wincing as she leaned on Shiori. She didn't let her injured leg touch the ground; she didn't want to even look at it.

"No, just the punks." Shiori replied. "HELP!" She cried, "SOMEONE, HELP!"

Kokoro flinched at the sheer volume. They quickly reached a lounge chair, in which Koko sat down. The pair heard shouts from the distance, but they were too distant to hear anything discernable.

At that moment, her stomach turned and she promptly threw up.

"Oh, that's gross." She muttered, wiping her mouth.

"Get Kyoya." A solemn voice ordered. Kokoro saw Shiori take off running toward the cliff.

"Oh, hello there." She said dazedly, seeing the quiet host. He snatched a beach towel, and tearing off a strip. He tied a tourniquet just under knee. When he was done, he spared her a glance.

"What happened?" He asked, utterly composed.

"I was shark bait. Oo ha ha." She joked, seeing dark spots. She blinked rapidly.

"I have called for a helicopter; they'll be here in a few minutes." A dark haired boy said, crouching down in front of her. "Miss Honda, stay with us. We need you to stay awake."

Another face blocked out the sun, "Koko-puff, stay awake, honey. Please, Koko, stay with me."

"Pipe the fuck down, Iggy. I'm not dying. 'Tis but a flesh wound." Kokoro said.

"A pretty nasty one." Kyoya muttered, clearly he didn't get the reference.

"She's losing a lot of blood." Mori said.

Koko blinked at the usually silent host. "Holy shit, you talked. Again."

"Am I dying?" Kokoro asked to no one in particular.

"You're not dying!" Shiori said, on the verge of tears.

"'Cause it feels like I'm in heaven." Koko slurred, ogling the shirtless pair of hosts.

"Mori-sempai, make sure that the others do not come out of the house. They do not need to see this." Kyoya ordered.

Mori gave a reluctant nod, heading back into the vacation home.

"What's going to happen? Will she be all right?" Shiori asked. The longhaired girl clutched Koko's hand, glancing at Kyoya.

"Hey, look, the helicopter!" Koko exclaimed, promptly fainting.


	2. We're Not Gonna Take It

**Hello chickadees! Here's the second chapter. Updates from now on will be a little sporadic. Thanks for reading! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own OHSHC**

**Warning: Profanity! Yay!**

* * *

"Who were you on the phone with?" Haruhi asked nonchalantly.

Kyoya pocketed his phone, "I was receiving an update from the hospital."

Haruhi was somewhat surprised. The host rarely divulged any information on private manners.

"If you don't mind my asking, sempai, but what for?" Haruhi enquired, deciding to press her luck.

Kyoya spared a look at the other hosts. They were currently on the private jet back to Bunkyō. Honey was conked out on Mori's lap, the latter host gazing out the window, Tamaki was snoozing as well, and the twins were watching a movie with headphones.

"You recall when you were pushed off the edge of the cliff?" He asked.

"Yes." Haruhi remembered well. She was saved by Tamaki, and then scolded for her earlier actions.

"Shortly after you all went inside, I had some matters to discuss with my family's police force about the lack of security. One of our customers, Shiori Igawa, came running. I had assumed all of our customers had left, but I was sadly mistaken." Kyoya said, adjusting his glasses. "Kokoro Honda, Miss Igawa's friend, had taken a last minute swim. During the incident involving the punks, she was in the water."

"And?" Haruhi prodded.

Kyoya cleared his throat, "It has been decades since the last shark attack."

"Is that why Mori-sempai had blood on his hands?" Haruhi asked quietly.

Kyoya sighed, "Yes. Though, fortunately, Miss Honda has survived."

"Most of her." A deep voice resounded. Haruhi looked up sharply, her eyes meeting with the silent host's.

"Oh." Was all she said. Haruhi felt intense sympathy for the girl. If her memory served correct, the girl was on the volleyball team, along with a couple of the Host Club's other customers.

"Do not worry about her. My family's hospital has the best doctors around. She is in good hands." Kyoya said.

Haruhi nodded, though she knew that no doctor was that good. The best doctor in the world couldn't fix the girl, whatever she had lost. Not to mention the emotional trauma the girl endured.

Eventually, the matter was shoved to the back of her head when the other hosts began to get restless. Trying to keep several rich bastards occupied so they'd stop annoying her was quite the task.

* * *

"HA! EAT MY DUST!" Koko shouted.

"WHY DON'T YOU EAT MINE?!" Haruto countered.

"IF I WANTED MY OWN COMEBACK, I WOULD'VE WIPED IT OFF YOUR THIRD CHIN!" Koko retorted.

Kokoro was sitting up in the hospital bed with a controller in her hands. Her brother was in the chair parallel to the bed. Both siblings were glaring at the television screen, each guiding a character in a cart.

Just then, a weary nurse poked her head through the entry. "Miss Honda, there is someone here to see you."

"Send 'em in." Koko replied, eyes still glued to the screen.

"SUCKER! You just got owned!" Haruto cried.

"Noooo!" Kokoro wailed, dramatically tossing an arm over her eyes, "I was so close!"

"Ahem." Someone cleared their throat, interrupting the pair.

Koko peeked out, and saw Kyoya Ootori in the doorway.

Haruto checked his watch, "I should probably get going. I've got work to do!" He said, shutting off the console.

"Fine. But I want a rematch when I get out of here." Kokoro called after her brother.

"So what brings you here, today?" She asked, grinning at the poised boy.

"I had some business to attend to with my father, and I thought I would drop by to see how you are doing." Kyoya said.

"Well, I'm doing swell." She informed him cheerfully.

Kyoya raised an eyebrow. "Has the hospital been accommodating?" He asked.

"Yup, it's great. I get food whenever I want, and the television gets hundreds of channels." She replied. "How're things at school? How's the Host Club?" Right now, she was just trying to make conversation. It was boring at the hospital, and she didn't get too many visitors.

"School is the same, as usual." Kyoya said, "And business at the Host Club is decent."

"That's good." Koko said, "I don't get many updates from the outside world. The only ones who come regularly are my parents and my brother. Satomi's got a cold, and Shiori doesn't really like hospitals. I think the whole leg thing makes her uncomfortable."

Kokoro observed Kyoya's eyes flit to the outline of her legs. She had the starched sheets draped over them, since the hospital gown was kind of drafty.

"That's unfortunate." He said.

Koko's face fell. "You didn't come to see me on your own will, did you?" She asked.

Kyoya pressed his lips together, and adjusted his glasses.

Koko sighed, "Your father sent you to make sure we wouldn't sue, right?" She wasn't one to beat around the bush.

"Yes," Kyoya gave a reluctant nod.

"At least you're straightforward." She muttered, "And we're not going to sue. You can't tame the sea, or what's in it." There was an awkward silence following her statement.

"If you don't mind, Miss Honda," Kyoya said, "I must be going."

"Oh, okay. I'll see you at school." Koko responded.

As Kyoya turned to leave, Kokoro called after him, "Kyoya-kun?"

He looked back at the girl in the hospital bed, "Yes?"

"Could you tell Azusa, if you see her at school, that I'm sorry?" Koko asked.

Kyoya frowned, but nodded nonetheless, "I will. Have a good day, Miss Honda."

"It's Koko. And you, too." She replied.

Kokoro watched him leave. Now she left alone to her own devices. She'd already been in the hospital for several days. The hospital would be releasing her in two days' time, so she was stuck there for the time being, with absolutely _nothing_ to do. There was no way she was going to watch her brother's copy of '_Mamma Mia!' _again. He had forced her to watch it four times in the past couple days following her surgery.

She seized the remote, and flipped through the channels until she fell asleep.

* * *

By the next afternoon, Kokoro had been released from the hospital. She'd been ecstatic about escaping the confines of the dreary hospital earlier than expected. After much convincing, Koko was granted permission by the mothership to attend school the following day.

At the moment, her mother was driving her to the Academy.

"Haruto will pick you up after school, though you'll have to wait a bit, since he doesn't get off work until after four. He'll take you to your appointment with the prosthetist at four-forty-five." Her mother said, pulling into the school's drop-off zone.

Several limousines and expensive cars were lined up. Her mother's luxurious vehicle fit right in. Kokoro's parents weren't keen on showy things, but they definitely indulged in lavish transportation.

"Sounds good." Koko replied, giving a forced smile.

"I'll get your things." Her mother said, hopping out of the car and unlocking the trunk's latch.

Koko waited in the passenger's seat, chewing on her lip. She wasn't nervous about seeing her friends and classmates; she was nervous about tripping and falling flat on her face. Well, at least more than usual.

"Thanks, mom." She said, slinging her backpack over both shoulders.

"Anything for my baby." Renada replied, "And here are your crutches."

Fortunately, the crutches were not the ones that you stick under your armpits, leaving the victim with sore underarms for the whole day. They were the kind that the user would rest their forearms against, grasping a protruding handle. Kokoro had adamantly refused a wheelchair, seeing as she could walk with a little help.

She said goodbye, and kissed her mother on the cheek. She eyed the black car until it drove away from the curb. Once it was gone, she made the trek to the high school building.

Immediately, when she entered the classroom, she was mauled by a blur of bleached, blonde hair.

"Oof!" She exhaled.

"I am so sorry I couldn't visit you! My mother wouldn't let me take a step out the front door for two whole days!" Satomi prattled, "How are you? Oh, the team can't wait to see how you're doing. You look great!"

"Most of me." Kokoro gave a lopsided grin. Tomi rarely said so much at one time.

Satomi's eyes grew round like saucers. "Does it hurt?"

"Nah, it's more of a dull throbbing. The doc says it should fade away in a few weeks." Koko replied.

"Good. Then you can get back to playing. Azusa was beside herself when she heard that you were in the hospital." The blonde said.

"I can't wait." Koko said, plopping down at her desk, "But first I have to get the prosthetic. It's going to take a while, though, for them to make it." She scrunched up her nose with frustration.

"Ugh, that sucks." Satomi groaned, taking a seat beside Koko.

"Yup. So, I have to totter around like a cripple for a month, but I'm going to meet with my doctor and a prosthetist after school. So, I'll be on the court in no time at all." Koko assured her teammate with a smile.

"Always the optimist." Satomi said.

"Have you seen Shiori?" Kokoro asked.

Tomi shook her head, "Not really. She's been very withdrawn, lately. She always comes in right before the bell, and leaves as soon as school is over. I'm pretty sure she still goes to the Host Club, but there's no way I'm going in there… I'm worried about her. She hasn't told me anything about the accident. Nobody knows anything about it."

Koko bit her lip, "I'll fill you in at lunch, along with the girls. There isn't much to say really…"

Satomi gave her a look, "There's a lot to say, hon."

Just as the bell rang, Shiori walked in. Kokoro stared at the once bubbly, bright girl. She made eye contact with Shiori, but the tall girl quickly averted her eyes, and sat down near the window.

When lunchtime came around, Shiori bolted out of the classroom before Koko had the chance to utter a word. Satomi sighed, but helped Koko with her things. The pair of girls made their way to the cafeteria in silence. However, that silence was abruptly broken when their teammates caught sight of them.

"Oh my goodness! I heard you were in the hospital!" Takara Matsumoto from class 1-C exclaimed.

"Are you okay?" Aimi Ueda asked; she was from class 1-A, "I heard you were sick with a fatal illness."

"Why were you in the hospital?" Yuriko Aika asked.

"What the _hell_ happened to you?" The other girls instantly stopped firing question after question when their team captain spoke up, loud and clear.

"Nothing that will stop me from playing." Koko replied.

There was a moment of tension, before Azusa's face broke into a grin. "Don't ever scare us like that again." She said, tightly hugging the younger girl.

"Let's get some food and I'll fill you in on everything." Koko said. Her teammates nodded in agreement.

Soon, they were all seated, with the exclusion of Shiori.

"So just what exactly happened?" Mai Yamaguchi asked impatiently.

"I went to the Host Club's vacation thingy with Shiori. I went swimming and I was attacked by a shark." Kokoro said bluntly. The girls gave various gasps of horror and shock.

"The doctors think it was a bull shark. Probably a young one, seeing as it only bit once. Kind of like a taste test." Koko continued.

"Is that why you have the crutches?" Takara asked – the girl was a little slow sometimes.

"Yup." Koko replied, "But only until I get the prosthetic, which should only take a month or two."

"Wait. Hold up a minute!" Azusa nearly yelled, "Prosthetic?!"

Kokoro was taken aback by the redhead's outburst. "Yes? I thought it was obvious…"

"Not with all that material." Mai grumbled.

"Well, once you get it, you're back on the court." Azusa stated.

Kokoro beamed, "I wouldn't have it any other way."

"Can we see it?" Aimi asked timidly.

"Sure, but I can't take the bandage off." Koko replied. She lifted up the skirt of her dress just up to the knee, and lifted her leg up on the bench.

"Thankfully, the fishy bastard – sorry – bit way below my knee, but he still got my foot." She informed her teammates. Her leg looked normal, however, a few inches below her knee was downright nothing.

"Damn, girl." Tomi muttered.

"At least now I can be a convincing pirate for Halloween." Koko joked.

She suddenly felt like something was missing. Shiori should have been there. Shiori should've told her off for joking about such serious matters, and then whack her on the head like she usually would.

* * *

"Where are you going, hon?" Tomi asked, tugging her uniform back on.

Kokoro had stayed to watch practice that afternoon, though she could only sit and watch.

"I'm going to the Host Club. I want to see if I can catch Iggy." She replied.

"Don't you have an appointment?" Satomi questioned.

"Yeah, put not for another half-hour." Koko said, swinging on her crutches.

"Okay, well, I'll see you around, then." Tomi said, "Just don't push her too hard."

"Will do. See you tomorrow." Kokoro responded, heading out the locker room doors.

She made her way, albeit slowly, to the third music room. She arrived after what felt like an eternity, but it was really just ten minutes. Koko pushed open the door following a short balancing act. Balancing on a crutch, holding the other, all while trying to open a door was much more difficult than she'd thought.

She barely had to survey the room to find Shiori. The pretty girl was sitting down with a few others, all eyes glued to the blonde host. Kokoro made a beeline for her friend.

Not wasting any time in fear of her friend evading her once again, Koko cut right to the chase. "Iggy?"

Shiori whipped her head around, giving a jump of surprise. "Sorry," She said, getting up, "I have to go."

"Iggy, what's wrong? Why won't you talk to me?" Koko asked, watching helplessly as her friend started to leave. "Please, talk to me, Iggy." She pleaded.

Shiori whirled around. "Don't call me that!" She snapped.

Koko stopped in her tracks. "But I've called you that for the last five years. Just tell me what's bothering you."

"How can you be so calm about this?!" Shiori exclaimed.

"About what?" Koko said stupidly.

"About everything!" Shiori cried, "You got bit by a shark, and you were cracking jokes about it while your life was in danger!"

It was as if a pressured pipe unexpectedly burst inside her. "How was I supposed to act?! What was I supposed to do? Break down and cry like you did?! Have a panic attack like you did?!" Kokoro shouted, "I GOT MY ENTIRE FUCKING FOOT TORN OFF! And the only ones to do something about it was that completely anal guy and that silent freak over there!"

"What was _I_ _supposed_ to do?! I'm not a fucking doctor!" Shiori retorted.

"Ladies, I would kindly ask you to lea–"

"SHUT UP!" They both shouted at the dark haired host.

"Why does everything have to be about you?! I'm the one who lost a goddamn foot! Not you! So why are you acting like it was you! And why are you avoiding me?!" Kokoro yelled.

"Because every time I look at you, all I see is your mutilated leg! I have nightmares about it! Sharks biting off _my_ limbs! I can't sleep at night because that's all I see when I close my eyes!" Shiori's face was streaked with tears.

"Why don't you see a fucking therapist then?!" Kokoro retorted, too riled up to see straight. "I'm sure he'd love to hear about all your problems! How a shark bit you! Oh, wait, that was me! How about when you lost a foot?! Oh, wait, that was me, too!"

"Why do you have to have everything revolve around you?! You weren't the only one who was affected by the attack!" Shiori cried.

"Revolve around me?! WHAT THE FUCK? How many times do I have to tell you?! I'm the one who lost a leg!" Kokoro exclaimed.

"I'm not dealing with this anymore!" Shiori shouted, fleeing the room before Koko had the chance to follow.

Kokoro stood there stunned, along with the rest of the hosts and customers.

Kyoya Ootori was the one to discontinue the stillness, "Miss Honda, would you please come with me?" He asked.

With one look at the host, Kokoro quickly exited through the open door. She sped down the hall, and took a random turn. Feeling that she was far enough away from the club, she dropped down to the ground and started sobbing.

All her pent up anger, sadness, and confusion was just hurtling out in a huge tidal wave of emotion. That, or she could've been PMSing. Maybe it was a mix of the two.

_Beep Beep_.

Wiping her eyes, Koko looked at the bright screen of her cell phone to see a text message from her brother.

Haruto: _Your chariot awaits, your highness_.

Koko: _I'll be down in a minute. Or two. This place is endless._

Haruto: _Sure thing, sista! We gon get you a leg thingy!_

Kokoro let out a chuckle at her brother's enthusiasm; it was somewhat contagious. With more effort than usual, Koko stood up and headed down to the front of the Academy.

She truly hoped that things would turn out all right. She hoped that everything would be remedied in due time.

* * *

**Phew, intense chapter. I try to keep some scenes light and funny to balance out all the drama. **

**Please review! **


	3. Holding Out For A Hero

**Yay! More chappies! Voila the next chapter. Are you fuzzy bumblebees ready for some brother/sister bonding? Yea! Haruto's back and ready for some... I don't really know...**

**Please review, review, review! I need to know what you guys think! Is it good, bad, boring, weird, or entertaining? Any constructive criticism is welcome too. Or just if you wanna say hi... Hi.**

**Enjoy!**

**P.S. The chapters are named after songs. See if you can guess the artist/band**

**Disclaimer: I do not own OHSHC**

**Warning: Uhh, some profanity? **

* * *

Eight Weeks Later

"Which one should I get?" Koko asked, debating which chocolate bar to get.

"Why not both?" Haruto countered, tossing some mystery meat into the cart.

"Eww, what is that?" Kokoro recoiled.

"I _think_ it's squid." Haruto said, scratching his head.

"Then why are you putting it in the cart?" Koko asked, exasperated.

"I don't really know…"

"Ugh. I hate shopping with you." Kokoro wailed, earning a few strange looks.

"Nonsense! You _love_ me!" Haruto said, puffing out his chest.

"Surrreee." Koko said, snatching a cereal box off the shelf. "Let's hurry up. I want ice cream."

"Bossy, bossy." Haruto teased.

Kokoro stuck her tongue out at the annoying twenty-four-year-old.

The siblings went through the single checkout line. Koko made Haruto carry all the groceries, to which he complained endlessly.

"You're such a weakling. You're carrying two bags. And they're not even that heavy." She said as they strolled down the streets.

"I just ordered every season of Dragon Tales off eBay. So, hurry up and get your ice cream. I want to watch my show." Haruto groused.

"Why would you want to stay cooped up when you could be out enjoying the gorgeous scenery of your hometown?" She cried out dramatically, stretching her hands outwards, accidentally whacking a stranger.

"Oops, sorry, sir!" She called after the grumbling old man.

"First of all, nice going," Haruto said, "And second, you were born here, not me, since mom couldn't hold you in long enough to get back to Bunkyō–"

"Hold up a hot second!" Koko said, thrusting her hand out.

"Oof!" Haruto walked right into her outstretched arm.

"Shh!" She hushed, dragging him behind a stall.

"What is it? Don't tell me it's one of my exes." He exclaimed.

"Unless you were dating an underage kid, it's not one of 'em." Kokoro said, peering around the edge of the merchant's stand.

"Then from whom are we hiding?" Haruto whispered loudly.

"Look!" She said, pointing at the ice cream vendor.

"What am I looking at?"

"No, look, in the line!"

"Oh, look! A hot dude!" Haruto said excitedly, his eyes following an attractive passerby.

"No, not him!" Koko face palmed, "It's a kid from my school. I didn't think any of those rich kids actually left their humongous mansions around here."

"Aren't we rich kids?" Haruto deadpanned.

"Yeah, but we don't flaunt it."

"Then why do you have three designer purses?"

"That's not what I meant."

"Then what did you mean?"

"Ugh, never mind." Kokoro exhaled, "Look! He's with a girl."

"Why are you so obsessed with this guy?"

"I'm not obsessed."

"Then why are we hiding?"

"Because, last time I saw him was when Shiori and I had that fight. _In front of the entire Host Club and their customers_."

"You say it like it was the end of the world."

"It was, for my reputation."

"You don't have a reputation."

"Shut up, weirdo." Kokoro huffed. "I actually know him. Well, him and his twin. I played volleyball with them the day I was shark bait. Oo ha ha." She added.

"Would you stop with the shark bait?" Haruto asked, irked.

"Oo ha ha."

"Stop it."

"Oo ha ha."

"No."

"Just keep swimming, just keep swimming, swimming, swimming. La la la la la ha ha ha!" She trilled, prancing off to the ice cream vendor. The redheaded twin and the pretty brunette had already gone strolling down the street.

* * *

"Mmm, chocolate." Koko hummed, happily licking the delicious ice cream. It was supposedly the best in town.

"That's going to make you fat." Haruto stated with a repulsed look.

"At least I can lose the weight. Your ugly face is stuck like that." Kokoro countered.

"Thank you, dearest sister." Haruto said sarcastically.

"Hey, look!" Koko exclaimed, pointing down the road.

"Don't tell me it's that redheaded jailbait, again." Haruto groaned, swinging the shopping bags with exasperation.

"No, no, no. It's Misuzu-chi's pension. I haven't seen him, err… her, for ages! Let's go say hi!" She said eagerly. "I can show Misuzu-chi my leg! Maybe I can make her faint."

"Aw, man. These groceries are getting heavy." Haruto whined.

"Too ba–AAGHH!" Koko face planted right into a puddle of mud, her ice cream cone soaring out of sight.

She sat up, spluttering, as Haruto laughed like a maniac.

"Don't laugh, it's not funny." She whined, wiping mud off her face. It was all in her hair and all over her clothing. "Stupid tree root. Stupid prosthetic." She muttered. The curved alloy must have caught on a root. The prosthetic was really meant for more vigorous activities, but Koko didn't like the ones that resembled real feet – they were too bulky and gawky.

"You're right. It's not funny, it's absolutely hilarious." Haruto wheezed between laughs.

The look on her face must have been so pathetic, because her brother began laughing even harder. Kokoro felt her lips give an involuntary twitch, and soon enough, she was snorting like a pig along with Haruto.

"Oh, man." Haruto said, after their laughing fit, "You should really clean that up before the dried mud ruins it."

"Let's go hijack Misuzu's water hose." Koko said.

"You go do that. I need to get this squidito in the fridge-ito before it goes bad… ito. " Haruto replied.

"You're leaving me alone?" Koko wailed.

"Aren't you seventeen, now?"

"Aren't you twenty-four and still living at home?"

"Touché."

"Tell Gran that I'll be there, uh, eventually."

"Don't stay too long, the forecast says thunderstorms later this afternoon."

"I don't mind the rain." She trilled.

Leaving her brother, Kokoro trudged toward the pension in all her mud-covered glory. She wandered up the porch. Just as her hand touched the doorknob, the door swung outwards.

_Thump!_

Koko fell to the ground for the second time that day, this time clutching the side of her face.

"Ow."

"Oh, dear! I did not see you there! Please, forgive me?"

A hand extended into her field of vision. She gladly took it. "It's okay." She said, wincing.

"Koko-chan!"

Kokoro's blurred sight focused in on the pension's owner. She smiled, "Misuzu-chi!"

"Why are you covered in mud?" Misuzu asked.

"I tripped." Koko shrugged. "Do you mind if I use your hose to rinse off?"

"The hose? Nonsense, why don't you come inside? You can take a shower, and then we can catch up, and you can tell me all that's happened since Christmas!" Misuzu gushed.

"Err, sure! If it's not too much of a hassle." Koko replied.

"It's no trouble at all, dear!" Misuzu said flippantly, "Come in, come in. We have so much to talk about!"

Kokoro grinned, following the lively cross-dresser into the pension. It was just like Koko remembered – the white piano was still in front of the window, and the tables were decorated with colorful bouquets. Her family vacationed at her birthplace nearly every break, including spring, summer, and winter break. So, over the years, Koko had taken to wandering the town, and she had become acquainted with many of the permanent residents.

"I'll get you some spare clothes, darling! I'll leave them outside the bathroom door." Misuzu said once the pair had reached the pension owner's private quarters.

"Great! Thanks, Misuzu-chi!" Kokoro beamed.

Kokoro cleaned off her prosthetic, thankful that she'd worn jeans that day, so the material of the socket wasn't dirtied. Then, she quickly showered, rinsing off all the mud. She even found some of it in her ears!

Hopping out of the shower, Koko shivered when the cold air hit her skin. She opened the door, and grappled around the floor until her hand hit some soft material. She retracted her arm, and stared at the fabric.

"Of course." She chuckled. She yanked the flimsy sundress over her head, and then pulled on her undies, which, fortunately, did not deal much damage from the muck. The white dress fell just at her knee, so Misuzu was in for a bit of a shock. Where Misuzu had gotten a dress that almost fit a teenage girl was beyond her. Didn't Misuzu have a daughter? Oh, yeah. That girl really didn't like her father.

Kokoro gave a grunt of indifference, and sauntered down to the main room.

"Koko-chan! Have a seat!" Misuzu said, placing two glasses of water at an unoccupied table. Misuzu suddenly gasped, pressing a hand over his – her – heart, "Oh my! What happened to your leg?"

Kokoro chuckled. The amount of people that have asked her that, or some other variation of the question, could fill a dozen salons at the Academy.

"I got attacked by a shark." She replied, taking a sip of the water. "They think it was a young one just trying out its big boy pants, and didn't already know that humans are not tasty."

"My dear, you are so brave!" Misuzu exclaimed.

"Yeah…" Kokoro trailed off.

"So~" Misuzu sang, "How have you been?"

"Swell. I'm still on the school's volleyball team. Since the accident, I've just been a replacement. I'm still getting the hang of this thing." She said, kicking out her left leg for emphasis. "Anyway," She continued, "School is the same as usual. My brother still lives at home. Nothing's changed, really."

"How are you parents? And your mother's restaurant?" Misuzu asked.

"They're good. Mom's business is booming. She's thinking of opening up a third location, too. They couldn't come visit this time, so Haruto and I are just here with our Gran." Koko replied, "How has business been here?"

"Oh, it's been absolutely wonderful!" Misuzu said, "Do you know Fujioka Haruhi?"

"Yeah," Koko replied, "Fujioka's the first-year scholarship student at school, I think. Why do you ask?"

"Well, Haruhi has been working here for the summer. So maybe you girls could have some fun!" Misuzu answered, grinning dazzlingly.

"Wait, did you say _girls_?"

In the next moment, the door of the pension's front entrance slammed open. Koko let out a strangled cry of surprise, where as Misuzu was completely unphased. Kokoro revolved in her chair to get a better look at the source. What she saw next made her pale. For the past few weeks, she'd avoided all members of the Host Club, and generally just avoided anyone that wasn't a part of the volleyball team. After all, she did call one of them a 'silent freak' and another a 'completely anal guy'.

"Well, I better be going–" Kokoro said quickly, trying to concoct an escape route.

"Hello, boys! How was your outing?" Misuzu called to the group, attracting their attention. Koko visibly cringed; she should've gone with Haruto, and risked being told off by their grandmother.

"It was enjoyable, Misuzu-chi." Kyoya responded.

"Wonderful!" Misuzu exclaimed, "Where are my manners? Boys, this is Kokoro! She attends your school."

Kokoro gave an awkward wave. She noticed that Tamaki was off sulking in a corner for some reason.

"Yes, we've met before." Kyoya said, his glasses flashing.

"Have you? Then there isn't a need for introductions." Misuzu said, "Where has the time gone? I must attend to my guests! I shall return shortly!"

Meanwhile, Kokoro was internally screaming, '_don't leave me_!'

She silently sipped her water, eyes darting towards the chatting hosts. Luckily, they weren't engaging her in conversation. It wasn't that she didn't like talking with people; it's more that she was embarrassed to be remotely near the hosts, after having a screaming match with Shiori.

"Hi, there, Koko-chan!" The shortest of the hosts grinned up at her.

"Hello, Honey-sempai." She returned the smile.

"What brings you to Misuzu-chi's?" He asked, settling down on a chair. Mori took a seat right next to the boy.

"Misuzu-chi's an old friend." Koko replied. If he had any recollection of that day, he made no indication of it now. "She was just telling me about Haruhi's job here."

Suddenly, a light bulb went off in Koko's head. Didn't Misuzu say something about them _girls_ having fun?

What about the girl that looked an awful lot like Haruhi at the ice cream stand, hanging out with the Hitachiin twin?

Was Fujioka Haruhi a cross-dresser, too?

Koko's realization must have been evident on her face, for Honey asked, "Is something wrong, Koko-chan?"

"No…" She said slowly, "I don't think so. I just had a sudden thought…"

"What about?" The bubbly host asked.

"The forecast says thunderstorms this afternoon." She said, trying to think up a quick fib, "I should probably get going before it hits." She mused, standing up.

Instantly, a pair of hands swiveled her around. She now faced the president of the Host Club.

"Did you say thunderstorms?" He asked frenziedly, clutching her shoulders.

"Uh… yeah?" She said, leaning away from him. He was good-looking, but not when invading her personal space bubble.

"Tamaki, I advise that you let Miss Honda go." Kyoya said, "We don't need a lawsuit for harassment on our hands."

"Harassment?!" Tamaki squeaked, receding back to sulk in a corner.

"I'll be right back." Koko said. She went back up to Misuzu's room to get her dirtied clothing. Realizing that mud had been tracked everywhere, Koko swiftly scrubbed it all clean. Her mother always said to leave things cleaner that they originally were.

When she returned to the main room, it was raining, and not just a light drizzle. It was pouring buckets upon buckets.

"Damn, I thought it was only going to sprinkle." She muttered to herself, staring out the window.

"Would you like me to call you a cab?" Kyoya asked.

"Nah, don't bother. I'll just wait it out. These things never last too long." She said, sitting down on the piano chair.

"Check out that lightening." One of the Hitachiin brothers said, peering through window. His twin was nowhere in sight. She must've seen his brother at the popular ice cream shop.

"I sure hope those two didn't get stuck in the rain." Honey said worriedly.

"Are you guys talking about Haruhi and, uh, the redhead?" Kokoro asked, observing a pacing Tamaki.

"Yeah, how did you know?" Honey replied.

"I saw them earlier–" She said.

The shrill ring of the phone sounded. Misuzu hastily answered it with the usual "_Hello~ This is Pension Misuzu_!"

"Oh, it's you, Arai. What is it?" Misuzu said. That caught the hosts' attention. It also caught Kokoro's. She was pretty sure that Arai's uncle owned a produce store in the town.

"What? Haruhi and Hikaru?" Koko leaned forward intently. So the twin she saw earlier was Hikaru.

Misuzu listened to the other end of the line, nodding frequently. "Thank you. Hikaru should have his cell phone with him, so I'll try giving him a call. Goodbye now." Misuzu hung up, and turned to the hosts. Kokoro watched the scene unfold from her position by the piano.

"Evidently, Hikaru left Haruhi in front of the produce shop, and decided that he'd head back on his own." When Misuzu said this, the boys gasped. "Arai said Haruhi took off after Hikaru, and that's when it started pouring. He was worried, so he called to make sure they made it home okay."

Kokoro's attention was diverted when her bundle of dirty clothing vibrated. She fished through the fabric and pulled out her phone.

Seeing the caller ID, she flipped open the phone, "Yellow?"

"Where are you? Gran's worried." Haruto's voice carried through the receiver.

"I'm still at Misuzu's; the rain's really coming down. I was just going to wait it out." She replied.

There were muffled voices, and some scuffling on the other line.

"_Want me to come get you_?" Haruto asked. "_No, Gran, there's no way you're driving in this weather_."

Kokoro heard an indignant voice in the background, followed by Haruto saying, "_Geez, Gran, you can barely see five feet ahead of you. How the hell are you going to get out of the driveway?_"

There was another moment of shuffling on the line, and then, "_OW! Goddamn it, woman! You don't have to hit me! OUCH, Stop it! That's child abuse._"

"It's not child abuse if you're in your twenties." Koko stated.

"_Hitting someone with a purse that's probably filled with bricks constitutes as a form of abuse_." Haruto replied, "_Now, do you want me to come get you or not? And no, Gran, for the last time, you are not driving. I don't care that you drive all the time; you almost killed me yesterday… So what's the verdict, coconut?_"

"Sure, why not? There isn't really anything for me to do here. This girl and guy from my school is missing, and I think I should get out of their hair." Koko said.

"_Aye aye, captain. I'll be there in a few_." Haruto said. "_No, Gran! Your can't have the donkey in the house_–" The line went dead.

Kokoro puffed out her cheeks. Gran was a handful, to say the least. That old lady was completely mad. And they still had a whole week left with the woman.

Koko spared a scan over her shoulder. She was sure she'd heard a bit of shouting. And the hosts still looked agitated.

"Miss Honda?" A voice sounded from right behind her.

"Wahhh!" She let out a cry, promptly falling off the piano bench. She stared up at the 'cool' host. He should really be called the 'cat' host, since he moved with a real, uncanny stealth.

"Are you all right, Miss Honda?" Kyoya asked, offering her a hand.

"I would be if you cut off my left arm." She joked as he helped her up. She noticed his lips twitch into a small smile.

"I couldn't help but overhear, is your brother picking you up?" He asked.

"Yup, though I don't know how long he'll be." Koko replied, leaning forward, "Between you and me, my Gran is absolutely bonkers."

"I could have called you a cab." Kyoya stated.

"Nah, you guys should focus your attention on Haruhi and Hikaru." She responded, fiddling with her dress.

"I think they could use a distraction. Tamaki looks like he's going to wear a hole in the floor." The dark haired boy observed.

"Mmhmm." Kokoro hummed, glancing out the window. A flash of lightning lit up the road, revealing a dark, peculiar outline. Koko did a double take. Another burst of lightning proved her suspicions.

"Miss Honda, is everything okay?" Kyoya asked.

"Oh my god! It's Gran's ass!" She cried, rushing to the window and pressing her face near the glass.

"Excuse me?"

"It's Yuu!"

"Me?"

"No, no, no. Yuu!"

"Who?"

"No, ugh. It's my Gran's donkey!" She exclaimed, hurrying to the door. "It must've escaped when Gran tried getting it in the house!"

"Koko-chan! Where are you going?" A childish voice called after her.

Kokoro ignored Honey, dashing out into the storm. She plodded through the puddles and the mud, already soaked to the bone. She could just see the outline of Yuu on the street, growing more definite as she approached.

"Yuu, baby," She crooned, extending a chilled hand to the donkey, "It's me, baby, it's Koko. Everything's going to be okay."

The donkey was terrified. Kokoro knew that Yuu was petrified of thunderstorms, which was probably why Gran was getting him in the house, not because she wanted to bring him driving, but to get him somewhere more snug and secure than the lonesome barn.

Yuu immediately snuggled the dark haired girl. Koko stroked the donkey's wet nose.

"Come on, baby. Let's get you home, and out of the rain." She murmured, giving the donkey's harness a soft tug. "Come on, Yuu." She gritted her teeth as the donkey refused to budge.

"Come. On!" She grunted, pulling harness even harder.

A deafening roar of thunder filled the air. The donkey gave a panicked whinny, fleeing at the sound. The reins were wrenched out of Koko's hands, making her yelp in pain. She tried to run after the bolting donkey, but her prosthetic was slowing her down, sinking into the mud.

"Come back, you stupid ass. Gran's going to kill us both when she finds out." She groaned, staring dejectedly at the dark road. She could barely see anything; the rain was coming down in sheets of pelting drops.

The blaring of a car horn made her whirl around.

A pair of blinding lights shone mere meters away.


	4. Don't Shoot Shotgun

**Bonjour, mes amis! Here is the next chapter. No longer must you wait after that dreaded and totally cliche cliffhanger!**

**To **kpacademygirl: **You guessed right. Who wouldn't want to be spirited away by a pair of strong arms by a delightful hero? Well, it was more of a football body-check. Eh, same thing. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own OHSHC**

**Warning: *sings* ~I love me some profanity~ **

**Enjoy, mes petits coquelicots! And please review! I would love to hear your opinion!**

* * *

Suddenly, she was knocked out of the way by something incredibly strong. The car barreled past.

Kokoro regarded her 'rescuer' sprawled beside her. It was the tall third-year, Mori.

"I can't catch a break, can I?" She panted, once again caked in mud. She lifted a finger, and pointed it to the sky, "Someone up there has it out for me. I'll bet it's my great aunt. She never liked me."

"Hn." Mori grunted.

"I think you have a hero complex." She puffed, rolling her head in the mud to look at him, "That's twice you've saved me."

"Yeah."

"I should probably thank you for that." She said.

"Hn."

"So, uh, thank you."

"You're welcome."

"You have a nice voice." She said.

"Thank you." Mori replied, his eyebrows knitting together slightly.

"That was a weird thing to say, wasn't it?" She sighed.

Another grunt.

"I'm sorry I called you a silent freak."

"It's okay."

"… I guess I'll have to find my Gran's ass later – I mean mule." She mused.

"Hn."

"I really have to stop saying ass, don't I?"

"Yeah."

"You're a man of few words, Mori-sempai. That's an interesting quality."

"Hn."

* * *

"AGGHHH! MONSTER! WHERE'S MY GUN?"

The unmistakable sound of the cocking of a gun was heard.

"NO, GRAN! DON'T SHOOT! IT'S ME! YOUR GRANDDAUGHTER!"

"THAT'S WHAT ANY MONSTER WOULD SAY!"

"DOES ANY MONSTER KNOW THAT YOU SLEEP WITH A DAGGER UNDER YOUR PILLOW, AND THAT YOU HAVE A PUG NAMED DUG?"

"ANYONE COULD FIND THAT OUT!"

"YOU ONCE TOLD ME THAT I SHOULD FOLLOW MY AMBITIONS, NOT MY DREAMS, UNLESS MY DREAM IS TO BRING BACK DINOSAURS, AND TO DEFINITELY FOLLOW THAT DREAM."

The elderly woman lowered the shotgun. She looked terrifying; the overly large glasses askew on the bridge of her nose magnified her wild eyes, her grey hair was escaping the multicolored curlers, and, to top it all off, she wore a shabby nightgown that hit just below her knobby knees.

"I suppose you haven't figured out how to bring back dinosaurs." She said, pursing her lips.

"No one could bring you back from the dead, Gran." Haruto replied, casually walking into the cottage.

"Be quiet, you, unless you want to join my husbands in the backyard." She said, shuffling back to her rocking chair.

Koko and her brother both shuddered at the mere thought of the three graves by the old oak tree.

"One day, she's going to shoot us." Koko stated, "And I don't think it'll be an accident."

"Yup, probably." Haruto agreed, nodding his head.

The thunderstorm had finally cleared up. Apparently, Gran's truck wouldn't start, so Haruto had tried to contact Koko. She was outside by then, trying to catch the stupid donkey. After her close call with the car, the rain stopped within minutes. Yuu the donkey came trotting back from who knows where, and Haruto came jogging down the road. Their cottage was only a few minutes' walk from the pension, actually, but it was perched at the end of a winding, forested road that was nearly impossible to navigate _without_ the rain. Add bad weather and there was absolutely no way anyone was getting in or out.

Haruto gave her a once over, "You should probably go shower. You look horrendous."

"Thanks, brother dearest." Koko said.

"Anything for you, sister dearest." Haruto replied, sticking his head in the fridge.

"Hey, weirdo."

"What?" He asked, examining the strange array of food.

"Why can't you hear a pterodactyl go to the bathroom?" She asked.

Haruto sighed, "That's such an old joke. It's 'cause the 'P' is silent."

"No, it's because it's dead, you uneducated fucktwit." She retorted, strutting out of the room.

* * *

_Knock knock_.

"Koko?"

"Hnngh."

The door creaked open.

"What's wrong with you? I've been calling you for the past ten minutes. Dinner's ready."

"Hnnnngh."

"Geez, woman. What's wrong with you? Did you finally realize that your ugliness can't be cured?" Haruto teased.

"My head hurts." She groaned.

"Of course it does. You tripped and face planted into the mud, were hit by a door, and body checked to the ground." Haruto listed, counting on his fingers. "It was all bound to catch up to you."

"Go away."

"I'll get you some pain killers… Before you kill me. Ha. That was a good one."

"Shut up."

She heard his footsteps thud into their Jack-and-Jill bathroom to find the medicine.

"Where is it? Where is it?" She heard him mutter, the sound of opening and closing cabinets echoing.

"Where is–AGGGHHH!" Haruto shrieked. His yell was followed by a several sounds of breaking porcelain, or at least, it sounded like porcelain.

Koko winced at the noise. She was about to ask what happened when Haruto came stalking out of the bathroom holding the broken head of a garden gnome.

"That woman is crazy! Look at this!" He brandished the creepy, smiling gnome head, "About two dozen, all stuffed in the cabinet! I don't know how she managed to snag a husband, let alone _three_! You know what? She probably drove them to their graves prematurely. I wouldn't doubt it for a second." He groused, tramping out of the room.

Koko never did get her headache pills.

* * *

Koko woke to something incessantly licking her hand. There were only two possibilities regarding the culprit. Her grandma wasn't _that_ crazy, and her brother wasn't _that_ weird. So, it could be Yuu the donkey, or Dug the pug.

She pulled away her slobber-covered hand, and, immediately, a combination of whining and wheezing began. It was definitely Dug.

Dug the pug was named after Gran's second late husband. He'd been a rich American businessman.

She stared down at the morbidly obese dog while wiping her hand on the sheets. The pug's tongue was hanging out of its virtually toothless mouth, and its eyes were bulging with excitement. As soon as she stood up, the pug went wild, running around the room eagerly.

"Come on, Duggie," She said, making her way to the door, "Let's–"

_WHAM!_

The dog had run right into the wall. Koko watched as it sat there, rather confused, before jumping up and running around again.

"Haruto," Koko said as she entered the kitchen, "I think there's something wrong with the do–"

_THUD! THUD! THUD!_

The siblings watched as the dog fell down the last few stairs and then scamper off to its dog bowl.

"Yup," Koko affirmed, "Definitely something not quite right."

Haruto chuckled, "Just like Gran. Two peas in a pod of bat-shit crazy."

"And we're related to her."

"Yup. Now what do you want for breakfast?" Haruto asked.

"Your heart roasted on a spit." She replied.

"Cereal it is." He stated, setting down a box of Cocoa Puffs in front of her.

They both sat in mutual silence, eating the chocolate-peanut butter cereal. Since their parents weren't there, they opted for the most sugary cereal possible.

"Where's Gran?" She asked, through a mouthful of Cocoa Puffs.

"Tending to her dearest beloveds." Haruto answered.

"I seriously hope I don't turn out like that when I'm older."

"Like Gran or her husbands?"

"Both."

"Well, you're already halfway there."

"I know how to use Gran's shotgun."

"See," Haruto said, rinsing his dishes, "Halfway there."

He got a garden gnome thrown at his head.

* * *

"I think I'll take the dog for a walk." Haruto mused.

"That fat thing won't get ten feet from the house before it collapses." Gran said, walking into the room. She was wearing her favorite shirt that read 'Knittaz 4 life.'

"Nor will you." Koko heard her brother mutter.

Kokoro let out a snort, redirecting her attention to the television. Suddenly, Gran swiped the remote from her hand.

"Hey!" She said indignantly. "I was watching that!"

"That show is going to turn your brains to mush." The old woman replied, settling into her rocking chair.

"It was Discovery Channel…" Koko said, "How is pro-wrestling better than Discovery?"

"Hot, sweaty, nearly-naked men fighting each other is always better than watching that scientific drivel."

"… And I'm leaving." Koko declared, heading into the kitchen for a drink.

Not even moments later, Haruto walked through the front door.

"That was a really short walk, even for that fat dog." Kokoro said, leaning against the counter.

"…"

"…"

"I… I forgot the dog." He said quietly.

That was when Koko noticed that the pug was sitting by the entrance, with its leash all set, looking tremendously sad. So, Koko burst out laughing.

"Forgot… The… Dog…" She wheezed, "That's a good one."

"Like you haven't done it before." Haruto mumbled.

"No. No, in fact, I haven't." Koko retorted.

Haruto went to pick up the leash, but Kokoro interrupted, "Hey, you know what? Let me take the thing for a walk. I want to drop by Misuzu's. And by the way, Gran's watching pro-wrestling."

"Really?" Haruto lit up, forgetting his blunder, "Sweet!" He tossed her the lead, and traipsed to the living room.

"My entire family is full of weirdoes." Koko muttered, sauntering out the door.

With the pug in the lead, they passed by the donkey that was munching on the rose bushes surrounding the headstones. Once they were out the gate, the duo started down the treacherous road, consisting of potholes, twisting curves, and fallen tree limbs. They narrowly missed an incident with a skunk.

* * *

Once they reached the pension, Kokoro left Dug tied up to a fence, which he was licking for some odd reason.

"Good morning, how may I help you?" It was Haruhi, armed in an apron and headscarf.

"Morning, Haruhi-_kun_." Koko grinned, causing the female host to glance up quickly.

"Oh, hello, Kokoro-sempai. I didn't know you had a place in Karuizawa." Haruhi said.

"Actually, I was born here. We've been visiting every break. It's funny that we haven't crossed paths." Koko mused.

"That is a little odd." Haruhi replied, tilting her head.

Unexpectedly, a blonde blur swiped Haruhi off her feet.

"THAT WAS SO CUTE!" Tamaki cried, swinging the brunette around in circles.

"Let me go, sempai!" Haruhi yelled.

And just as fast as he had appeared, Tamaki disappeared into a corner of gloom.

Haruhi let out an irritated sigh, before turning to Koko. "Sorry about that."

"Why do I have the feeling that you've been roped into their club involuntarily?" Koko mused.

"I broke a vase and have to repay my debt." Haruhi said plainly.

Kokoro nodded, "Makes sense. So, you made it back all in one piece?"

"Yes… How did you know about that?" Haruhi asked.

Koko shrugged, "I dropped by yesterday afternoon to see Misuzu-chi. I overheard all the hullabaloo."

"Thanks for asking. Go ahead and sit anywhere, I'll bring you the brunch menu." Haruhi stated, gesturing to the numerous tables. Koko nodded, she getting puckish anyway – the cereal she'd had earlier wasn't much.

"KOKO-CHAN!" A young voice called. "Come sit with us!"

Koko spotted the group of boys clustered around a table.

"Morning, everyone." She said as she pulled up a chair. All the hosts were seated, drinking various beverages, and snacking on cakes and fruits. Then, she noticed that one of the boys was not part of the Host Club. "Oh, hello, Arai."

"Morning, Koko-sempai." The brown-haired boy waved.

"Good morning, Koko-chan!" Honey-sempai greeted.

"Oh, look, it's the cripple." One of the twins muttered, earning a whack on the head from his brother.

"Be nice, Hikaru." The other said.

Instead of feeling hurt, like most would, Kokoro felt miffed. "At least I'm better looking." She retorted.

The offensive twin's head shot up, "Yeah, but you're a girl–"

"I think he just agreed with me." She interrupted, whispering loudly to Arai.

"Ignore him." Haruhi said as she set a menu down in front of Kokoro. "Hikaru's just being a moron."

"Hey! I'm not a moron!" Came the piqued tone of the twin.

"I didn't say you were," Haruhi responded calmly, "I said you were _being_ a moron."

Hikaru huffed, stewing himself into an unhappy silence. Meanwhile, Koko asked Haruhi for lemonade and a grilled cheese sandwich, seeing as it was nearly noon.

"He was fine earlier, until you showed up, for some reason." Arai murmured into Koko's ear.

"He's probably jealous of my looks." Koko jokingly whispered back.

"Arai-chan, Koko-chan, what are you two talking about?" Honey-sempai asked, large eyes staring at them.

"Arai was just asking about my grandmother." Kokoro fibbed.

"Astoundingly, she's still alive." Arai jested. He had nearly fallen victim to one of Gran's target practices last summer. Fortunately, the bullet didn't hit him.

"That's not a really nice thing to say." Honey-sempai said.

"You haven't met the bat." Koko replied.

"She can't be that bad." Kyoya said.

"She buried her three, late husbands in the backyard."

"That can't be good for the water system." Kaoru said, biting into a cookie.

"Their bodies have long since decomposed. Plus, they were buried in iron coffins." Kokoro informed them, watching as Kyoya slowly lowered his glass of water.

Soon, Haruhi returned, setting Koko's order on the table. The female host took a seat beside the twins and Tamaki. Kokoro listened to the group's discussion as she munched on her sandwich. Haruhi was engaging Arai in conversation about the school he currently attended, while the rest listened keenly.

It was quite interesting to see the Host Club members relaxing outside of school, and not entertaining their customers. They seemed mostly normal, for rich people, maybe a tad wacko. Kokoro's family was rich, but her parents had started from nothing. Her mother had lived in poverty in Haiti, and her father had been just another 'commoner' in Japan. Yet, they became successful, each building up a decent reputation.

Kokoro felt very proud of her parents' accomplishments. Her mother owned two, high-end restaurants, and her father was a partner in a prosperous law firm. They made their own way, while most students at Ouran were handed a starter kit already half completed. Nevertheless, Koko didn't hold a grudge against anyone; she had no reason to.

At that moment, her phone went off, interrupting her musings. She excused herself, and sauntered away from the table.

"Do you not know how to text people, Haruto?" She said into the receiver.

"_Is that any way to talk to your grandmother? Honestly, I thought my son had enough sense to instill manners in his children_!" Her Gran's voice warbled out of the phone.

"Sorry, Gran. I didn't know it was you. Why are you using Haruto's cell?" Koko asked.

"_He's in the bathroom, and the home phone is too far away._" Ah, there was that family laziness. It must've skipped a generation with her father, and gone straight to Haruto.

"So…?" Koko prompted.

"_I've got a great idea for some grandmother-granddaughter bonding!_"

"Gran, last time we did some of your so-called bonding, you ended up in jail, and I was left stuck in a tree for seven hours." Kokoro stated flatly.

"_Yes, well, Officer Aiko obviously had some hidden resentment. His girlfriend must've dumped him for a better man with a bigger package_."

"Wha–? I don't even… Fine. What's your bonding idea?"

"_Let's get some tattoos!_"

"Um… Tattoos?"

"_Exactly! I'm thinking of something on my lower back that says 'hot stuff' or 'sex-machine' with a motorcycle or crossbones_."

"I don't think that's the best idea–"

"_You could get something on your leg – not the one that's totally messed up – that says 'one foot in the grave' or something, so that people won't stare at that funny stump you call a leg_."

"Thank you, Gran. You do wonders for my self-esteem."

Kokoro heard a sigh from the other end of the line.

"_Don't you do _anything_ for yourself?_"

"No, I don't." Kokoro deadpanned. "I'm Asian Jesus."

"_Don't be disrespectful, child. Now get your ass back here while I distract your brother_."

"Yes, ma'am."

The line cut off, and Koko was left with yet another situation that she knew would not turn out well. When Gran sets her mind to something, she gets it done no matter the method.

Kokoro returned to the group, and hastily rummaged through her pockets for some money.

"Sorry, everyone, but I've got to run. Don't want Gran ending up in jail again." She said, tossing a few bills on the table.

She left before the others could say a word.

* * *

Arai let out a chuckle as the group watched the girl scoop up a fat pug and stride down the road.

"Sometimes I forget she's almost as rich as you guys." He said.

"Well, she sure doesn't act like she's loaded." Hikaru mumbled.

"Doesn't act like it, eh?" Haruhi said as she unraveled the crumpled bills. They amounted to nearly four times the cost of the girl's meal.

"Did she say something about her grandma ending up in jail?" Honey asked.

"Mitsukuni." Mori said.

"What is it, Takashi?" Honey turned his bright eyes to his cousin.

"She knows."

"Knows what?" Honey asked.

Mori glanced at Haruhi, and that was enough for the hosts to understand. They'd been too oblivious to realize it, which was saying something, seeing as Kyoya Ootori knew _everything_.

Kokoro Honda knew Haruhi's secret.

* * *

**Please review! I'm begging you! I'm on my hands and knees! I need to know what you guys think of this! **

**I'll update about every couple days. I have two or so other chapters already done. About 15K words for this entire story so far! Woot woot. I'm surprised that I've written so much. I guess it's fun to write a character that gets in such interesting situations, good or bad!**


	5. Highway To The Danger Zone

**Hello little pumpkin pies! Are you all ready for another update? 'Cause here it is! **

**Please review!  
**

**Question: Who do you think Kokoro will end up with? A Host Club member? An OC? A fellow classmate?**

**Another Question: Who do _you_ think she _should_ end up with?**

* * *

**Disclaimer: I do not own OHSHC, just my OCs**

**Warning: ~Profanity, profanity, profanity~**

* * *

"I can't believe we're doing this." Koko said for the fifth time in the past ten minutes.

"Oh, relax, sweet cheeks." Gran patted Koko's arm, "So, what are you getting?"

"Me?" Koko responded.

"Of course, pumpkin. I'm your grandmother, so I count as a parental figure… I think."

"I don't even think that's legal." Koko said.

"You should get something inspiring or some bullshit like that." Gran said, evidently ignoring the girl's statement.

"Err… What are you getting, Gran?" Koko asked, trying to distract the elderly woman.

"A sexy gnome on my lower back, lounging on the words 'sex-machine'."

"Why do I even bother asking?" Koko groaned.

"Hi, there. What can I do for you ladies?" A heavily tattooed man asked.

"Hello, Tsubasa, dear. We're here to get some tattoos." Gran replied.

The man, Tsubasa, chuckled, "Another one? Okay, follow me."

As the pair followed the man to a smaller room in the tattoo parlor, Koko whispered to her grandmother, "You already have one? Since when?" There was absolutely no way she was going to ask _where_ the tattoo was.

"Since before you were born, sweet cheeks." Gran replied.

"Dad's going to kill us both." Koko muttered.

Kokoro watched as the tattoo artist discussed designs with her grandmother.

"Hey, kid, my name's Midori. Were you wanting to get something?" A friendly, feminine voice asked from behind her.

Koko turned, "Oh, uh, me? Not really. I'm just here with my Gran. Err… She _wanted_ me to get one, but…"

"That's fine. Let me know if you change your mind." The artist said, sitting back down at the front desk.

Koko perched on one of the bar stools, swinging her legs back and forth. The parlor was small, with a little sitting area, and a few rooms in the back separated by brightly colored curtains. Nearly every wall was covered with designs. A drawing of a whimsical koi caught her attention; it was a lovely reddish-orange, and its fins looked as if they were rippling through water.

"So, how'd you lose the leg?" Midori asked, reaching for a few, stray stencils with a tattooed arm. Kokoro was rather surprised by the woman's forwardness.

"Shark attack." Koko replied.

"That sucks. What's your name, kid?" Midori questioned, flipping through a folder.

"Kokoro, but everyone calls me Koko." She responded.

The woman smiled. Koko noticed that she even had intricate tattoos framing her face. "Well, it's nice to meet you, Koko." Midori said.

There was a period of silence as the tattoo artist worked and Koko sat in deep thought, staring at the beautiful drawing of the fish.

"Um, Midori-san?"

"Yes?"

"I've changed my mind."

Midori grinned, "What do you have in mind?"

* * *

Three weeks later

_Ring Ring Ring_.

"Yellow?"

"_Hey, Koko, it's Tomi. Did you want to go to the mall today?_"

"Hold on, let me ask." Kokoro said. She stuck her head out into the hallway and called, "Dad! Can I hang out with Satomi, today?"

"What do _you_ think?" Her father cross tone resounded.

Koko sighed into the receiver, "My heart says yes, but my dad says no."

"_Still grounded, then?_"

"Yeah…"

"_When do you think they'll let you go free?_"

"Well, I did pull the I-need-to-live-life-to-its-fullest card, placing specific emphasis on my so-called handicap. My mom ate it up, especially when I started the waterworks." Koko said, closing her door, and plopping back down on her bed.

"_At least they didn't take away your phone_."

"But, they won't let me hang out with anyone. I think I'm going stir-crazy here. What I would give to eat a steak smothered with hamburgers and deep-fried at an unhygienic fast food joint."

"_Uh, gross. So, when's your release date?_"

"Oh, right. Maybe four days, give or take a few. Though, I might have killed my brother by then."

"_Please don't, you don't need a record like your grandmother._"

"Would it be better if I targeted my brother's hairless cat?"

"_Oh, don't hurt Chicken. It's never done anything to you._"

"Except make me sneeze. And I'm cooped up in the house with that thing. I swear I'm a cat magnet, or something."

"_I– Hold on_." There was muffled shouting on the other line as Koko twiddled her thumbs in boredom. "_Sorry about that_," Tomi said, "_I've got to go. I'll text you tomorrow. My parents want me to go out to lunch with them, something about a potential merger with another airline. I don't really care, but they want me to keep the other family's son entertained. Ugh. What am I? A damn escort?_"

"Insult him in German. You're always scary when you speak German."

"_Yeah, I just have to make sure he doesn't speak it, or else I'll be in the doghouse, just like you_."

"Okay, go have fun. Maybe he'll be attractive."

"He's seven." Was all Satomi said before she hung up.

Kokoro looked around her bedroom. There was nothing to do. There was still a couple of weeks before school started again. She could go workout in their gym, or surf the Internet, or just lie on her bed in boredom.

When her parents had come to pick her up at the end of her stay in Karuizawa, her dad had gone completely nuts when he saw the tattoo, resulting in Gran knocking him out with a gnome. Koko's mother had been shocked, and slightly impressed at her daughter's nerve to actually go through with something like that. Haruto was rather indifferent to the whole situation, for he continued watching the sports channel. He only reacted when a pie flew over his head and out the window. _No one touches his pies_.

Kokoro inspected the tattoo. It looked entirely healthy. She'd gotten the tattoo artist to draw the koi fish around half of her leg and add in a quote around the second half. It was just between her knee and the prosthetic sleeve.

The lettering read 'just keep swimming' in a deep, ocean blue. Maybe she should've gotten 'shark bait' instead.

* * *

A Few Days Later

"Why are you wet?" Haruto asked as Koko trudged through the door.

"Have you seen that nice pond around back, near the shed?" She asked.

"Yeah." He nodded.

"Well, I didn't."

Haruto barked out a laugh. "Nice going, coconut."

"Bleh."

_Ring Ring Ring_.

Haruto answered the phone, "Hello? Honda residence… Speaking?"

Kokoro kicked off her soggy shoe, wringing out her shirt over the sink.

"Miss who? Oh, you mean Koko? Yeah… She's right here." Haruto said, and Koko glanced over her shoulder.

"Oi, nut head. Phone for you." He said, holding out the telephone.

Koko stuck her tongue out as she snatched the phone from his hold.

"Koko speaking." She said, heading up to her room.

"_Hello, Miss Honda. This is Kyoya Ootori_."

"Um, hi. What can I do for you?" She asked, shutting her door.

"_Well_–" Kyoya began, but Koko interrupted him.

"Sorry, could you hold on for a sec? I'm going to put you on speaker." She said, punching a button and setting the phone down on her bed. "Okay, sorry, continue." She prodded, stripping off her wet clothing as she listened to the second-year.

"_Miss Honda, I have taken the liberty in calling you personally to inform you that one of your friends is currently at my family's hospital_." He said.

"What? Who? Why?" She questioned, halting in her tracks.

"_Shiori Igawa was admitted early yesterday morning. I would prefer not to divulge any more information over the phone. She specifically asked that I call you._" Kyoya responded, his voice the same calm, collected tone.

Kokoro's heart dropped. "I'll be right over. I'll meet you in the lobby."

"_All right, Miss Honda_."

"Oh, and Kyoya-kun?"

"_Yes?_"

"Thank you."

* * *

"Where are you going?" Haruto asked, raising an eyebrow.

"The hospital." Koko replied.

"But, you're grounded." He stated.

"So?"

"Mom and dad put me in charge, and you aren't allowed to leave this house." He said firmly. Their parents had left on a short trip to scout locations for the third restaurant; they said that they would return in a few days.

"Of all things to be serious about, you choose this?" Koko groaned.

His façade faltered a bit, "Um, yeah. Yes. You can't leave."

"My friend is in the hospital. She wants me there; she _asked_ for me to be there." Koko said. "Can you please, please, please drive me?"

Haruto looked conflicted, but then again, when did he ever follow the rules?

"Fine. I'll do it, but you can't leave like that." He said.

"Why not?" Koko asked.

"You need pants."

Kokoro glanced down.

"Whoops."

* * *

"Do you need a ride home?" Haruto asked as he pulled up in front of the hospital.

"Nah, I'll walk." Koko said as she got out of the car, "Don't expect me home anytime soon. I might stay really late. It depends…"

It depended on a lot of things. Would Shiori still be mad? And if she was, why did she ask her to come? Why was Shiori in the hospital in the first place? How sick was she? Was she even sick or was she hurt?

"Okay. But, take this with you." Haruto held out a small canister.

"Is this–?"

"Yeah, it's pepper-spray. Be safe." He said. Kokoro gave a snort of amusement. When would she ever need pepper-spray?

"You won't be laughing if you get attacked by a creepy pedophile." Haruto retorted.

"I'm more likely to spray myself accidently than spray the mugger." She muttered.

"Well, then, don't." He said as Koko shut the door.

She waved as her brother sped off back into traffic. She was left standing apprehensively in front of the sliding glass doors.

As she walked into the bustling lobby, she instantly spotted Kyoya. He was busying himself with an expensive touch-screen device while sitting formally on a chair.

"Hi." She said plainly.

"Good afternoon, Miss Honda." Kyoya said, pocketing the device. "Please follow me, and I shall take you to Miss Igawa's room."

"It's Koko." She muttered.

The second-years made their way to the elevators, managing to snag an empty one. The silence was a stark contrast to the noisy lobby. Out of nervousness, Kokoro fiddled with a hole in her shorts, making it even larger.

It had been ages since Kokoro had last spoken or remotely interacted with Shiori. The things she had said to her friend were horrible, so she had figured that Shiori would want nothing to do with her.

There was a ding, and the elevator glided open. Koko frowned when she noticed the overhead directional sign.

"Why are we on the oncology floor?" She asked, dreading the answer.

"Please follow me, Miss Honda." Kyoya said, already out of the lift.

Kokoro quickened her pace to match the taller boy's lengthy stride. At the moment, she was having an internal freak out. She was never the best at confrontation, or just generally being serious in serious situations. She was always bound to crack a joke, and most likely that joke would offend someone.

After several turns down different hallways, they halted in front of a door.

"Here we are, Miss Honda." Kyoya said.

"Oh, err… Thank you." She replied.

"Miss Honda?"

"Yeah?"

"Could you please release my arm?"

Kokoro realized that she had a death clutch on his shirt's material. "Oh, geez, sorry." She apologized, albeit awkwardly.

"No worries, Miss Honda, have a good evening." And with that, the Shadow King disappeared down the blindingly white hallway. He was a strange one, that Ootori.

The last time she had seen him was in Karuizawa, when she was practically kidnapped by the Host Club, and kept prisoner until she agreed to keep Haruhi's secret. It was not a fun experience being hogtied in a dark room with the light from a single lamp blaring in her face. Not to mention how quickly the hosts changed into police uniforms. The Host Club was full of weirdoes.

Kokoro took a deep breath, and faced the door.

"Well, here goes nothing." She mumbled, twisting the doorknob.

* * *

"Did you take a shower?" That was the very first thing Shiori Igawa asked her estranged friend.

Koko's lips quirked, "No, I fell in a pond."

"The one by the shed in your backyard?" Shiori asked.

"That's the one."

"You're such a nutcase."

There was an uncomfortable silence. Kokoro didn't know what to say. Should she start with an apology?

"Have a seat." Shiori said, gesturing to a lone chair.

"I… I was really surprised when I received Kyoya-kun's call." Koko said, sitting down.

Shiori gave a nervous laugh. "I wasn't sure you'd come."

"Why not?" Kokoro asked, somewhat distractedly.

"Well, since…" Shiori trailed off.

"I'm sorry." Koko blurted, making Shiori glance up sharply from pulling on a blanket thread.

"I was a real jerk to you. I completely disregarded the thought that anyone else could be affected other than me. I was stupid, real stupid. I guess, when I cracked all those jokes, it was just so I wouldn't freak out, though that didn't really help, considering I blew up through the roof at you. And I'm sorry for it all." Kokoro exclaimed.

Shiori sighed, "It's okay. I was in the wrong to avoid you. I should've said something instead of cutting off ties…"

Kokoro exhaled, blowing a stray wisp of hair out of her face.

"What is wrong with us?" She mused, leaning back into the chair with a light thud.

"We're hormonal teenagers. I think we're allowed to mess up once in a while…" Shiori said as she tugged at her own gorgeous locks.

"Don't tell me you lost a leg, too? Is that why you're stuck in here?" Koko knew that that wasn't the reason. Shiori was on the oncology floor. Koko pretty well knew _why_.

"No, if you'll be quiet – yes, quiet, because I know you'll interrupt," Shiori said, after Koko opened her mouth to object. "Anyway, not long ago, I had the flu, and it was pretty terrible. So, my parents, being the worrywarts they are, brought me to the doctor's. They did some tests because my mother is paranoid – you know how she is."

Kokoro nodded, listening intently as Shiori continued her account.

"Well, they got the results back, and then they decided to do more tests, this time more specific… I'll just get to the point… It turns out that I've got acute leukemia." Shiori said solemnly; she looked up at Kokoro, "I've got cancer, Koko-puff."

Cancer? Kokoro felt like her heart had fallen through the floor. She knew that she had to be strong for her friend; Shiori had wanted her by her side, to tell her the grim news. Like hell her was going to go through this without her friends.

"You know what? It's just another game, Iggy. Another tournament, and cancer's our opponent." Koko grinned, "And we're going to crush it to the ground."

* * *

The girls talked for several hours, well past visiting hours, but no one ever came to tell Kokoro to take a hike. She figured Kyoya must have had something to do with that.

They talked about everything that occurred over the past few weeks. Kokoro even showed her friend her tattoo, to which she was scolded tremendously. Koko told her about her crazy Gran, and the mishaps she'd faced in Karuizawa, including being saved by tall, dark, and handsome. Shiori squealed for five minutes straight when Koko told her what happened, though she had no idea what the big deal was. Shiori said she was oblivious to the signs. Koko just ignored her, and continued with her tales.

Shiori later informed Koko that she had begun the first round of chemotherapy that morning, which explained why the pretty girl was looking rather pale and fatigued. Kokoro knew from reading books and watching television shows that chemotherapy was incredibly draining and hard on one's body.

"I swear, the Black Magic Club's cursed the team or something." She mused from her spot at the end of the bed, "I wouldn't be surprised if by the end of the year, every one our mates ended up in the hospital at one point."

Shiori laughed, "Yeah, Azusa's going to be real mad."

"She's going to be the devil incarnate." Kokoro giggled.

The pair exhaled, relishing each other's company.

"I know this is a touchy subject, but, will you lose your hair?" Koko asked carefully.

Shiori forlornly stroked her chestnut tresses, "Probably, the doctor said that there's a really high chance. I'm thinking of cutting it all off, so I don't have to deal with it falling out in giant clumps."

"Then I'm doing that, too." Koko announced.

"What? No! You can't do that! You have such nice hair!" Shiori said.

"If you go bald, then I go bald." Koko replied stubbornly.

Shiori's eyes watered, "You would do that for me?"

"Hell yeah! Of course!" Koko said. "We can get someone to make your hair into a wig, so you can still wear it."

Shiori smiled, "That would be marvelous!"

"So you can go as yourself for Halloween, and I'll go as a one-legged pirate!"

Koko had to duck to avoid the airborne television remote. When she straightened back up, she was smiling like a madman. This is how it was supposed to be.

* * *

Kokoro left the hospital late that night after assuring Shiori that she'd be back the next afternoon armed with a hairstylist.

At the moment, she was walking home down a dimly lit street – the perfect setting for a horror movie or a kidnapping. So, of course, Kokoro was feeling overly paranoid and anxious. Every rustle of a bush, and every unidentified echo scared the living daylights out of her.

A limousine drove past, its headlights momentarily blinding her. She warily watched it, before turning back to eyeing every shadow and every creepy corner.

She heard a car door slam further behind, but she ignored it, too caught up in her surroundings. She could call her brother, but he had to work early in the morning, and she didn't want to wake him up when she could walk home. It was only a half an hour walk, not bad.

She didn't think it was so bad until she heard the footsteps. She instantly quickened her pace, hoping that it was just another citizen that enjoyed very late night walks. She glanced back, seeing a tall, shadowy figure. Kokoro gulped, clutching the pepper-spray canister tightly. The red can was her only defense; she didn't know jack squat about any forms of self-defense.

The footsteps were getting louder, and much, much closer. Kokoro held her breath, her prosthetic chinking faintly against the ground.

Suddenly, a strong hand landed on her shoulder. Kokoro let out shriek, whirling around to face her attacker. She whipped out the pepper-spray, and jammed her finger down on the nozzle.

* * *

**Dun dun dun... Cliffhanger! **


	6. Bohemian Rhapsody

**Bonjour, encore! Here is the next chappy!**

**Thank you to **Tactless Unicorn, kpacademygirl**, **ThoughtlessBreath, GeniusPineapples, **and** Enecs** for reviewing! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Ouran Highschool Host Club. However, the OCs are my own creation.**

**Warning: mentions of a little wee bit of blood (not gory) and some profanity**

* * *

"I can feel you staring at me."

"I'm just trying to figure out how you managed to pepper-spray yourself." The younger clone stated.

Kokoro lifted up the icepack to give the boy a red, puffy-eyed glare. "I hate my life." She groaned, setting the ice on her throbbing eyes, and leaning her head on the back of the couch. Was it her destiny to end up in the shittiest situations?

"I think you're just very unfortunate."

"Why do you look so much like your brother, yet you're complete opposites?" She asked.

"I don't know. And I'm the better-looking one, by the way." Satoshi replied.

"That was rhetorical." Koko muttered.

"Satoshi." Koko heard Mori's deep tone.

"Yeah, yeah. I know. I'm going. Nice meeting you, Koko-sempai." Satoshi said.

Koko gave a wave in Satoshi's general direction – she could barely see, her eyes were so swollen.

"You too, kiddo." She said.

She felt the couch sink a bit with a new weight. "So, I guess you were just trying to offer me a ride, huh?" She mumbled.

"Yeah." Mori grunted.

"I think I got carried away." She chuckled, wincing as she moved her tender facial muscles.

She heard him give a low chuckle. It was interesting to hear the usually solemn boy show any kind of emotion for once. It was a nice change.

* * *

"They're so cute together, aren't they, Sato-chan?"

"Yeah, they look like an old, married couple."

Kokoro groaned at the obnoxiously loud voices, burying her face into a soft material. Her eyes still felt sore; she hoped that the swelling had gone down.

Without warning, a weight – that she hadn't realized was there until now – was lifted off her waist, leaving her skin to fend for itself against the cool air. She immediately shot up, opening her eyes wide as she felt a blush coming on. With a glance to her side, she saw the attractive third-year looking just as drowsy as she felt.

She gave a nervous chuckle, "Err… Sorry." She said, her face most likely flushed. Hopefully, it wasn't noticeable with her already irritated skin. "Oh, no! My brother might think I've died or something!" She exclaimed.

"Don't worry, Koko-chan! We made sure Ruto-chan knew that you were having a sleepover!" Honey said with an innocent smile as he held up Koko's phone.

"H-How did you get my phone? It was in my… back pocket…" She asked, patting the back of her shorts with confusion.

"Never mind that," Satoshi said, "Do you two lovebirds want breakfast?"

"Lovebirds?!" Kokoro squeaked, watching as Honey flounced away with Satoshi close behind.

There was a loud racket emanating from the door the two had just disappeared into, followed by a lot of shouting. The third-year and middle-schooler came bolting out of the same door moments later, high-tailing it away from an angry-looking chef.

Kokoro and Mori watched as the chef chased the pair, brandishing a spatula like it was a sword. They observed the scene until the characters vanished into another part of the house.

"Why were you walking alone?" Mori asked.

"Hm?" Koko jumped slightly at the third-year's voice, "Oh, I was heading back from the hospital."

"Are you all right?" She could detect a bit of concern in his deep tone.

"Me? Oh, I'm fine. I was visiting a friend, and we lost track of time. I didn't want to wake my brother since he had to work this morning, so I toughed it out and walked, plus I need the exercise." She replied, checking her watch, "Speaking of mornings, I should get going." She stated, abruptly standing up.

"Thank you for your generosity." She said, giving a curt bow and smile.

"Koko-chan! Where are you going?" Honey asked, appearing rather unexpectedly in the living room.

"I made a promise to a friend, so I've got to go meet my hairstylist. Have a nice day, everyone." Koko responded as she turned to leave.

"Wait, Koko-sempai! That's not a d–" Satoshi cried.

_Thud!_

"Ouch," Satoshi and Honey both winced.

* * *

"Do you do that to yourself on purpose? Or are really that clumsy?" Satoshi asked.

"Koko-chan is very clumsy! Isn't she, Takashi?" Honey said.

"Ah."

"I bwame whoever inventhed thuch a powerfool window cweaner." Koko garbled, a bloody cloth pressed to her nose. Her head was on Mori's lap, much to her embarrassment. He had caught her right after she crashed into the window.

"At least it's not broken." Satoshi said cheerfully.

"Wha are you weferwing thoo? My noze oah the window?" Koko mumbled.

Satoshi grinned. "The window."

"Don't be mean, Sato-chan!" Honey exclaimed.

Koko merely groaned. At this rate, she was going to end up in the hospital as more than just a visitor.

* * *

"Is that blood on your shirt? And it's on your nose, too! Why are your eyes red? And what happened to your knee? Oh my god! Were you mugged?!" Shiori gasped.

"No, I was not mugged." Koko replied. "My eyes are red because I accidentally pepper-sprayed myself last night, and there's blood on my nose and shirt because I walked into a window, and lastly, I tripped on my way here because I didn't see the pothole until the last minute."

Shiori exhaled. "You're a walking disaster, Koko-puff." She said dryly.

"Yes, I know I am. But! Guess who made an appointment with an awesome hairstylist?" Koko replied enthusiastically.

"Really? That's great! Who's the stylist?" Shiori asked.

"Well, actually, she's my brother's stylist, but I gave her a call, and she was willing to pop by and give us both a quick trim. And she knows someone who'll turn your lovely hair into a wig." Kokoro said with a grin. "And I gave Tomi a call, she should be here soon."

"Oh, that's absolutely perfect! It's been so boring here." Shiori said.

"You've been in chemo for three days." Koko retorted, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes, but there's nothing to do. All my shows have had their finales, and so now there's only reruns and I've seen them all." Shiori grumbled.

"Well, I've brought something to do! Have no fear, for Captain Coconut is here!" Koko cried, striking a heroic pose.

"You're a nutcase."

"That's why they call me coconut!"

"Wait, are you wearing the same thing you wore yesterday?"

"Pfft. No…"

"Tell me." Shiori demanded with an intimidating tone.

"I may or may not have tried to pepper-spray Mori-sempai, and accidentally pepper-sprayed myself in the process. And I may or may not have crashed at his place when he and his brother helped my poor, blinded soul. And I may or may not have walked into his window while trying to leave because I was such an awkward weirdo."

"And why were you an awkward weirdo?"

"I may or may not have used Mori-sempai as a cushion."

"You didn't!"

"I did." Koko replied with a grimace, trying to speak above Shiori's excited ramblings and squeals, "They were also kind enough to give me a ride here. I called my stylist from the lobby, so she should be here in about two hours… Annnd you're not even listening."

"– And I could be your Maid of Honor, and the wedding could be themed, and the cake would be grand! Wouldn't that be great, Koko-puff?"

"Yeah, sure… Wait, what?!"

* * *

One week into the second semester, and a lot had happened.

When Koko and Tomi showed up at school with freshly shorn craniums, they turned quite a few heads and earned multitudes of questions. Azusa was disappointed that they'd lost a player – hopefully, it would only be temporary. Kokoro had been planning to surprise Shiori with numerous 'get-well' cards, as well as sending dozens of the girl's favorite flowers. She also wanted to get the Host Club members to sign a card, since Shiori loved to visit the club.

It was a Friday morning, and Kokoro was munching on her breakfast when her father strolled into the kitchen. "Good morning, daughter dearest."

"Morning, dad." She said, "Haruto made coffee before he left, there's still some in the maker."

Her father grunted in response, pouring himself a cup in his favorite mug.

He took a sip, and sighed, "Ah, it's like making love in a canoe."

"It's that good?" Koko asked, lifting an eyebrow.

"No, it's fucking close to water." He retorted, dumping the coffee down the drain.

"You shouldn't say that when your son makes you coffee, dear." Koko's mother said, walking into the room.

"I will if it tastes awful." Her dad said, brewing another batch of coffee.

Her father was in a much better mood compared to last night. At dinner, he'd been quite _stressed_, which would be the best way to describe his mood. And their father rarely showed much emotion, aside from his seemingly harsh jokes.

* * *

Yesterday's Dinner

"Your mother and I have some important matters to discuss with the both of you." Their father said seriously.

"I didn't do it!" Haruto said immediately.

"Me neither!" Koko agreed. She leaned towards her brother, and whispered rather loudly, "What didn't we do?"

Haruto shrugged, "I don't know, but whatever it was, I didn't do it."

"How could you know what you did if you didn't do it?" Koko asked.

"Well, I'd definitely know if I didn't not do it." Haruto responded.

Kokoro snorted, "Of course you'd know if you didn't not do it. You'd definitely done it."

"They're definitely your children, dear." Renada sighed to her husband, slightly amused.

"What were we talking about?" Her brother hissed.

"What we didn't do." Kokoro answered.

"Then how could we know what we didn't do?" He asked.

"Well, we'd know if we did it." Koko said. Haruto shrugged in agreement.

They both turned to their father, who looked less than pleased. "Are you both done?" He asked dryly.

Koko shared a look with her brother; they directed their attention to their father, and nodded.

"Good, then I shall proceed." Her father said tersely. "As you know, your mother's restaurant is having its grand opening in a fortnight. Several clients of mine will be attending, and many prospective clients, as well."

So, _this_ was why their father was acting so out of the norm. Their mother's third restaurant was halfway complete, but the workers were extremely efficient, so there was definitely no concern in that area. However, there was concern pertaining to who was attending the opening. The fact that many clients and prospective clients were going to the opening explained their father's behavior.

"Your mother and I would like the both of you to attend–"

Haruto groaned, "But those things are so boring."

Their father took off his glasses, and rubbed his face. "We have been very lenient over the years, compared to other parents. We have allowed the two of you to choose your owns paths. Now, Haruto," Jiro said, focusing on Koko's brother. "You are an adult, and as such, you will act like one. I will not be hearing any more complaints as long as you live under this roof. You do not have to go to the opening, though I highly encourage your attendance. And, Kokoro," He continued, facing her, "You don't have a say in the matter, you will attend."

Kokoro was speechless, for once. Never ever had their father said anything like that. Granted, he'd been stern with Koko and her brother, but no more than the average parent. And even then, they seldom disobeyed their parent's requests. Kokoro respected her parents, and in return they treated her like an adult, allowing her liberty in her choices.

Kokoro chose to say nothing, her brother, however, did the opposite thing.

"Why do you want us there so badly? We've never gone to the other openings. What's so important about this one?" Haruto asked. Koko could see him getting frustrated. She didn't like seeing her family argue.

"Excuse me, I think I am going to retire early, tonight." Her father said, standing up and exiting the dinning room. Her father always knew when to end an argument; he was a lawyer, after all.

Her mother exhaled, "You shouldn't push your father like that, Haruto. He's under a lot of stress from work lately. The restaurant's opening only adds to the stress."

"You don't seem too bothered, mom." Kokoro remarked.

"That's because I'm your mother."

Koko smiled at that comment; that's what her mother constantly said when she couldn't think up a witty response. Her father was completely opposite; he could counter anything at any time with a smart retort – the perks of being a lawyer.

"Tell dad I'll go to the opening." Haruto said.

"Apparently, _I_ don't have a choice." Koko joked.

"We should go dress shopping this weekend!" Haruto exclaimed.

"I truly hope you aren't going to buy a dress." Koko deadpanned. It had happened once before, but that was a story for another time.

"Of course not, silly coconut. We will go find you a dress!" Haruto said.

"As long as it's not floor-length. With my luck, I'd probably trip over the hem and face plant into the punch." Koko muttered, "Then again, I'm likely to trip and face plant anyway."

"Should I set you up on a blind date with the ground? Or have you two already met?" Haruto teased, grinning from ear to ear.

"Shut up, weirdo." Koko grumbled.

"Haruto, be nice to your sister." Their mother said futilely.

"Wait, you've already got a fellow, don't you?" Haruto smirked devilishly.

"No, I do not!" Kokoro protested.

"What's this about a fellow?" Her mother asked.

"You see, coconut here, went and stayed over a–AGHHH!" He never finished his sentence, for the next thing he knew, he was being tackled to the ground.

"You said you wouldn't say anything! Liar, liar, pants on fire!" Koko shouted childishly.

Renada sighed, and rolled her eyes, "Why me?"

* * *

"Koko, is something bothering you?" Tomi asked, perched at the end of the hospital bed.

Koko sighed. Satomi could read everyone's emotions like a book.

Shiori paused, and looked up from the pile of get-well cards, "Yeah, Koko-puff, you seem kind of distracted."

Kokoro propped her elbow on the armchair, leaning her head into her hand. "It's just my dad." She said. "He seemed really off, last night."

"What do you mean?" Satomi frowned.

"He wanted Haruto and I to attend my mother's restaurant's grand opening. But when Haruto complained, dad snapped at him, and then told me I didn't have a choice in going or not. This morning he seemed back to normal, though." Koko said.

"Maybe he just has a demanding client." Shiori suggested, "When my parents have to deal with picky clients, they usually come home stressed…" Shiori's parents owned and managed a booming real estate business, to which Shiori was set to inherit.

"What if it doesn't have to do with his work?" Koko asked. "I wonder if my mom knows anything. She said he was under a lot of stress lately, too, but he's been stressed before. What makes him act so strangely _now_?"

"What if he's having an affair?!" Shiori exclaimed.

"An affair?! Are you nuts?" Koko countered, shocked that her friend would even suggest the idea.

"Could it be possible?" Satomi interjected steadily.

"Wha-? No! My parents wouldn't even think of doing that!" Koko stammered, "They-they've never had any problems whatsoever!"

"Not that you know of." Satomi replied.

"I'd think I'd know if my parents were getting a divorce. Plus, this was really sudden." Koko said, "I doubt they were having issues; I would've notice."

"What if his job is in jeopardy?" Satomi asked.

"No, that's not it." Koko said.

Shiori snapped her fingers. "I know! Go into his home office, and look for anything out of the ordinary." She said.

"You want me to snoop in my dad's stuff?" Koko asked incredulously.

Shiori shrugged, "Yeah."

"That's an invasion of his privacy! I would get in so much trouble if I were caught." Kokoro said.

"Then don't get caught." Satomi said simply.

"Oh, no. Not you, too." Koko groaned, "You're supposed to be the rational one, not side with her!" She gestured to Shiori.

"EEEE! Look! A card from the Host Club!" Shiori squealed.

"There are times when one must do the opposite of rational." Satomi replied.

"You just want me to find out what's wrong." Koko said.

"Pretty much." Tomi nodded.

Koko face palmed, "You guys are the worst influence."

* * *

"I feel like I'm on a secret mission." Koko whispered into her cellphone.

"_Just don't start singing the 'Mission: Impossible' theme_." Satomi's voice buzzed from the phone.

Kokoro settled for quietly humming the theme song as she snuck down the dark hallway.

"_Are you there, yet?_"

"Almost." Koko said, stepping into her father's office, "Okay, I'm in."

"_Good, now go to your dad's desk. He could have left some sort of document that might explain his behavior_." Satomi said.

"You sound like you've done this before." Koko muttered dryly as she sorted through the numerous papers. "There's nothing here but boring files." She whispered.

"_Look for something out of the ordinary, like a letter_."

"Right." Koko nodded, using the light of her cell phone to see through the dark.

"Wait, here's something." She said, seeing a thick, folded paper stuck under a paperweight.

"_What is it?_"

"Hold on." Koko said after unfolding the paper. "It looks like a letter."

"_Well, what are you waiting for? Read it_."

"I could get in so much trouble for this." Koko murmured as she started reading the letter.

'_Caro Mr. Jiro Honda,_

_Our names are Francesca and Giovanna Rinaldi. We are twin sisters, born and raised in Italia, by our father, Agostino Rinaldi. We never knew our mother, and only possess a small trinket of hers – a silver locket with her name inscribed. Our father told us that she didn't want anything to do with us when we were growing up, and we respect that decision to this day. However, even if our mother does not wish to know us, we wish to know our family._

_You are undoubtedly wondering why we are writing to you, Mr. Honda. Well, the name inscribed on the locket, and the same name our father told us, is Ren Honda–_'

_Creak_.

Koko's glanced up at the doorway, seeing a light click on. She quickly shoved the letter back where it was, and practically dove underneath the desk.

"Tomi, I've got to go, I'll tell you everything tomorrow. Meet me in Shiori's room by nine." Koko hissed into the phone.

"_Got it. See you then_."

Kokoro shut off her cellphone, and tucked it into her pocket as she held her breath. She heard footsteps pause in front of the office door. After a few tense moments, the footfalls resumed.

She swiftly ducked out of the office, and bolted to her bedroom, thankful that it was in the opposite direction of the footfalls.

What the hell was that letter about?

* * *

**Dun dun dun...**

**Who do _you_ think this 'Ren Honda' is?  
**

**Stay tuned to find out! **

**And please review, review, review! Even in anon mode - it doesn't matter! I just want to know what you guys think of the story!  
**

**Thanks for reading!**


	7. Love Walks In

**Buongiorno! Here is the seventh chappy! I just realized that we've passed the 20K word mark. Yay, virtual cookies all around! This chapter is so far the longest, but hopefully the next ones will be even longer. I try to write a minimum of 3K words per chapter. Three is a good number, especially in Greek mythology (more likely Percy Jackson and the Olympians) - three fates, three furies, and three people to go on quests and get in a lot of shit.  
**

**Thank you to **naynaynaynay, JustFabulous**, and everyone else for reviewing! And thank you to whoever is reading this for, well, reading this!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own OHSHC**

**Warning: the usual**

**And, without further ado, the chapter...**

* * *

Two Weeks Later

Saturday

"GODDAMN IT, HARUTO! WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY PROSTHETIC?" Koko yelled.

"I just spiced it up a wee bit!" Haruto called back.

"DID YOU HAVE TO _RHINESTONE_ IT?" She shouted, sticking her head out into the hallway. "I can't wear this!"

"Not with that attitude."

_Ding Dong_.

"Could you get that, coconut? I'm on the toilet~" Haruto trilled.

"Ugh, fine." Koko grumbled, tightening her bathrobe as she stalked down the stairs. "Lazy asshat." She said.

"My word! Such language. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were a boy!"

"BALDERDASH! I AM A DELICATE LITTLE FLOWER!" She hollered over her shoulder, wrenching open the door.

"Hi, what can I do for you?" She asked pleasantly.

"I, uh, have a package for Miss Honda?" The mailman said apprehensively, holding out a clipboard and pen.

"Hey, that's me!" Koko said excitedly, signing her name.

The mailman handed her a cardboard box. "Have a nice day, Miss."

She shut the door with her foot, ripping open the package.

"Who was that?" Haruto bellowed.

"The mailman! He delivered a package!" Koko shouted in response.

"What's in the box?" Haruto said, appearing at the top of the stairs.

"It's a… wig?" Koko said confoundedly, lifting up a mass of black hair.

"Who on earth would send you a wig?" Her brother asked.

There was a pause before both siblings shared a look and said, "Dad."

"Well, I'm not wearing it." Koko stated.

"Fuck the system!" Haruto said with a fist pump.

Koko raised an eyebrow at her brother. He just shrugged.

"Right. I'm going to change. It takes a half hour to get there, so we need to leave in ten minutes. Hurry up and put a shirt on, weirdo, I don't like seeing your flab." She said.

"I don't have flab!"

"Yeah, you do. Look at that gut." She replied, poking his stomach, "I'd sugar coat it, but you'd probably eat that, too." Her brother wasn't actually fat, or in any way unfit. It was just fun to tease him.

"I am highly offended." Haruto huffed.

"Hi, highly offended. I'm Koko." She retorted, tromping up the stairs.

She heard a faint scoff. "That's a stupid joke. A really stupid joke." Her brother muttered.

When she reached her room, she tugged on a modest, royal blue dress. She skimped on the makeup, much to her brother's dismay, and she didn't have to do anything to her hair since she barely had any. Ah, the joys of having virtually no hair on the top of her head. Not to mention the reduced amount of shampoo and conditioner she went through.

In record time, the siblings were out the door and on their way to their mother's new restaurant.

* * *

The entire shindig was rather impressive. The restaurant was modeled after high-class Parisian architecture.

"Champagne, Miss Honda?" The waiter asked. His uniform resembled a penguin suit; Koko would have to talk to her mother about that.

"Yes, please." She said, downing the entire glass. Honestly, Koko hated the stuff, but after spending a half an hour in a confined space with her brother blasting the _Mamma Mia_ soundtrack the whole time, she decided it was better than suffering from a headache while sober.

The waiter blinked with shock. Koko set the empty glass back on the tray.

"Mm. Thank you." She said, feeling somewhat better.

"Dear, you shouldn't drink so fast. Your father doesn't want his children running rampant while utterly smashed." Her mother stated, suddenly appearing by Koko's side.

She jumped, "Geez, woman. Don't sneak up on me!"

Her mother ignored her. "What do you think? The builders have done an excellent job, don't you think?" The older woman asked.

"It looks great!" Koko said. "I love the built-in fountains."

"Oh, yes. The fountains were my idea. Well, the whole thing was generally my idea." Her mother mused.

"Mmhmm." Koko nodded.

"Ah, there's Mr. and Mrs. Kobayashi. Come, dear, let me introduce you." Her mother said, lightly grasping her arm, and leading her to an elderly couple.

The ritual of meet and greet continued on for what seemed like hours and hours, but it was really twenty minutes or so. Koko met people whose names she forgot the second they moved on to the next set of adults. Her brother had some how evaded their mother, and had disappeared into the kitchens – undoubtedly to flirt with the staff. Curse her brother and his ability to escape without notice!

Her dad had been a tad annoyed when he realized she hadn't worn the wig, but he eventually just sighed and walked off. Koko shrugged and downed another glass of champagne. Her father was a little odd, but so was her entire family.

"Go find your brother, dear, I will be making my speech in a few moments." Her mother said. "And no more champagne. You're going to end up with a hiccoughing fit by the end of your third glass."

"Will do." Koko nodded, thankful to escape the boring rich people meet and greet. Her mother was correct about the alcohol. Koko was a high-functioning drunk, but that didn't mean she didn't get side effects, which included endless fits of hiccoughs.

She trudged into the kitchens – there was no doubt in her mind that her brother was there – and scanned the bustling space. She spotted Haruto chatting up a hot waiter.

"Oi, weirdo!" She hollered, "Mom's going to make her speech."

Haruto grumbled something incoherent before zigzagging through the culinary stations.

"You foiled my plan. I'll get my revenge." He muttered.

"What are you, an evil mastermind?" Koko retorted.

"Oh, sister dearest, you think I could be a mastermind? I'm so flattered." Haruto said. Koko just snorted in response.

The siblings made their way to the base of the musicians' platform, where their mother was waiting in her swanky, red cocktail dress. The woman tapped her champagne glass with a spoon, getting everyone's attention.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen–"

"Ready to be show dogs?" Koko whispered to her brother.

"Bring it on."

* * *

Monday

"So they're coming _here today_?" Satomi asked.

"Yup! After practice" Koko replied smugly, perched on the bleachers.

"Why did you ask them to come to the school?" Satomi questioned as she stretched.

"My dad doesn't know I know, so…" Koko said, becoming captivated by her fingernails.

Satomi sighed, "You are going to be in heaps of trouble if your dad finds out. Why didn't you tell him?"

"I was waiting for him to say something, but he never mentioned them!" Koko answered, "And he won't find out. I'll just have my aunts say that they were in the area, and wanted to drop by, or something."

Tomi rolled her eyes, "They live in Italy. Flying across an entire continent is not 'dropping by'."

"I can come up with a better fib… Eventually." Koko said.

"How are we even friends?" Tomi asked. Koko shrugged.

"Hey, you two! Stop lollygagging and warm-up!" Azusa shouted, tossing a ball at Koko.

Koko caught the volleyball, and hopped off the bench.

"I need to drop by the Host Club first. I need to get Shiori's homework from Kyoya-kun, since she's taking that French class." She stated. "But, it should only take a moment, I think."

"I haven't got all day, girls!" Azusa barked impatiently. For someone who looks so sweet, she could turn into a real drill sergeant.

"Did you even tell your aunts where to meet you? This school is massive, how will they know where to go?" Tomi asked.

Koko halted in her tracks, "I did not think of that."

"GIRLS!"

* * *

"Would you like some tea, Koko-sempai?"

"Oh, yes, please, Haruhi-kun." Koko replied. She was currently waiting for Kyoya to gather the homework for Shiori's French class.

Koko took a whiff of the tea. "Mmm, thank you, it smells delicious." She said.

"You're welcome, sempai. So, why are you here before club hours, if you don't mind my asking?" The brunette asked.

"Just picking up some homework for my friend. She's sick, and I'm not in her class, but Kyoya-kun volunteered to provide copies." Koko flashed a smile towards the boy with the glasses.

"That's nice of you, Kyoya-sempai." Haruhi commented.

Kyoya merely nodded in response as he surveyed random papers.

Just then, the short blonde bounded up to the table, "Koko-chan, would you like to stay with us and eat sweets?" Honey asked.

Koko felt her eyes slide momentarily over to the tall, silent host. "As much as I love sweets, Honey-sempai, I can't today; I'm meeting my aunts soon." She said apologetically.

Honey's face fell, but he quickly smiled again. "Maybe you can visit tomorrow!" He exclaimed happily.

"If I'm not grounded by then." Koko muttered.

"What did you say, Koko-chan?" Honey asked.

"Huh? Oh, um, never mind." She replied.

Honey gave her another adorable smile, and the skipped off to a table filled to the brim with desserts.

"Haruhi! Why won't you wear it? You would look so cute!" Tamaki whined, holding up an over-the-top maid's uniform. Someone had a fetish.

"No, sempai. I am not wearing that." Haruhi replied, gritting her teeth.

"Here's the homework, my apologies for taking so long. It seems that someone had taken the liberty of disorganizing my belongings." The dark-haired boy said, casting a glare at the twins; they grinned with fake innocence.

"No problem. Thanks for this. I'm assuming your notes are top notch, right?" She teased as she stuffed the papers into her bag.

Her jesting went right over the teen's head. "Of course they are, Miss Honda." He replied tersely.

"I was just teasing." She said, sipping her tea.

"Of course." Kyoya responded, returning his attention to his laptop.

Suddenly, the club door opened, revealing an exceedingly suntanned girl in her late teens. The look of curiosity on the girl's face was soon replaced with a giant grin.

Before anyone could utter a word, the chestnut-haired girl called over her shoulder, "OH, FANCY! WE'VE HIT THE JACKPOT! WHAT'S THE AGE OF CONSENT IN THIS COUNTRY?"

Another, more ladylike voice answered, "Around thirteen, I believe. Seriously, lovey, you mustn't holler, I'm right behind you." The voice drawled.

The door widened to uncover the other girl. This girl was exceptionally pale in contrast with the light-haired girl with the funky hairdo. The pale girl had black hair tied in a loose bun, and was dressed in a sixties style dress topped off with a bright red sunhat. Her friend was clad in bright floral leggings that clashed with an orange and neon green tank top. She even had mountains of gaudy jewelry covering her arms, ears, and neck.

"Who're they?" Koko asked quietly as she took a sip of her drink, figuring that Kyoya knows everything and everyone.

"They are your aunts."

Kokoro spat out her tea – all over the unfortunate host in front of her.

* * *

"Oh, I can't _believe_ you doused the poor lad with your tea!" Francesca gushed. The way the pale girl spoke and acted reminded Koko of an old-fashioned Hollywood actress.

The three girls were sitting outside a café, drinking coffee and tea – well, the two Italians were drinking coffee, since they said that they only drank tea when ill.

After Koko had profusely apologized to Kyoya and helped him clean up a bit, her aunts had come right up and introduced themselves.

Francesca and Giovanna Rinaldi were twins, both eighteen years of age. That had come as a colossal surprise, seeing as Koko never thought to ask their age, and doing so might've been inappropriate.

Anyway, the twins, despite their differences in skin tone and hair color, looked remarkably identical, each with slightly upturned noses, heart-shaped faces, and a duplicated set of dimples. They even had similar mannerisms, which included widening their hazel eyes when spoken to. And they were both rather tall and slender, matching the heights of the Hitachiin twins nearly centimeter per centimeter. Kokoro was short and more muscular in comparison to her aunts; she barely held any resemblance, excluding the shape of her face, she looked nothing like her Italian relatives.

"I'm never going to live that down." Koko said, "Wait, where's all of your bags?"

"They're at the hotel." Giovanna stated with a smirk, "Something tells me you haven't told your family that we're here." Giovanna was not as refined as her twin, being much more vulgar and brash, but lovely all the same.

"No," Koko replied sheepishly. "To be honest, I found the letter you sent my dad while snooping in his office. About a week and a half after that, he _still_ hadn't said a word, so I took matters into my own hands and wrote you a letter." She said the last part somewhat proudly.

"She's like you, Fancy, snooping around in other peoples' business." Giovanna teased.

Francesca pouted, "I do not snoop, Gigi, I _pry_."

Koko snorted, "It's the same thing."

"That's what _I_ was going to say." Giovanna exclaimed.

"Well, then, maybe she should be your twin." Francesca retorted, her eyes twinkling with mirth.

"No one could replace my dearest sister!" Giovanna cried dramatically.

Francesca ignored her sister, and took a polished sip of her cappuccino. Koko decided that she was the incarnation of an old-fashioned Hollywood actress, with an Italian flair.

"So, tell me, lovey, what are your pursuits?" Francesca asked.

"I play on the school's volleyball team." Koko offered, "But that's about it. I don't really have any, uh, pursuits, unlike a lot of people at my school. What about you guys?"

"Gigi, here, wants to join the Cirque du Soleil group." Francesca answered, "She's a superb contortionist and acrobat."

"And Fancy, here, wants to be an architect. She also plays the piano quite _splendidly_." Giovanna added. Koko noticed the twin's subtle teasing, mocking Francesca's posh vocabulary. The twins reminded Koko of herself and her brother and how they interacted, with all the bantering and jesting.

"You're a marvelous violinist, lovey. Don't be so humble." Francesca said. "Koko, lovey, what's our mother like?" She asked abruptly.

"Oh, err…" Koko was taken aback by the unexpected question. "She's very unique, like you two are." She responded as honestly as she could, without being offensive. "Gran is independent and free-spirited and, um, clever."

"Oh, Gigi, she calls mother Gran! How charming! I sometimes forget she's barely two years younger than us." Francesca exclaimed.

Giovanna raised an eyebrow, and smirked. "Is she really like that? Or is the woman really just nutters?" She whispered to Koko.

"She's completely off her rocker." Koko replied discreetly.

Giovanna leaned back, her grin widening. "Good, then she's definitely our mother." Gigi affirmed.

"Trust me, I know we're related." Koko said, "Anyone who knows my family could see that a mile away, despite our looks."

Koko watched as Giovanna eyed a passing waiter's behind. For some _absolutely outlandish_ reason, Giovanna reminded her of her brother.

"How did you guys find me, anyway? I think I forgot to mention where to meet in the letter." Koko said.

"A bird with short blonde hair told us where to go." Giovanna answered, "She said her name was Set-me, or was it Satiny?"

"Satomi?" Koko offered.

"Yes! That's the one, lovey!" Francesca said.

Koko smiled, "She's one of my best friends. Funny how you two crossed paths."

"Isn't it, though?" Francesca mused pensively.

"So, what's it like in Italy?" Koko asked after a moment of silence.

"Italia!" Giovanna exclaimed. "It's absolutely fantastic! Fancy and I, we grew up right near the beach. Our house was a ten minute's walk to the sea."

"Wow, it sounds great." Koko replied.

"Perhaps one day you could visit us, lovey." Francesca purred.

"I'd really like that." Koko said. To visit Italy would be amazing. Sure, Koko had been to other places around the world, but she'd never been to Italy.

"And _perhaps_ find yourself a nice looking lad." Giovanna said with a wink. "Unless, you've already found one…" The tanned teen grinned, "What about that lad who couldn't keep his eyes off you?"

"Huh?" Koko cocked her head with confusion. What boy?

"Oh, lovey, she's oblivious! Remember when I was like that?" Francesca said.

"How could I forget? Nearly every week in high school, a strapping young lad would pluck up the courage to ask her highness on a date in some cryptic way, to which our dearest Fancy was utterly ignorant." Giovanna said.

Kokoro raised her eyebrows, opening and closing her mouth like a goldfish, since she was sort of flabbergasted at the moment.

She cleared her throat and mentally shook herself. "What boy? What did he look like?" She asked.

"The one with the muscular body." Giovanna replied throatily. "Mmm, that boy was fine – all silent and strong. He isn't my type, but I'd make an exception if his affections aren't placed where I think they are."

Koko choked on her tea. Did the beverage have some kind of grudge against her? "Th-that would be Morinozuka Takashi. He's part of the Host Club."

Giovanna's eyes lit up as she and her twin leaned in closer.

"A Host Club? _Really_?" Giovanna asked.

"Well, it's not like the kind you're probably thinking of, but these seven guys entertain the girls by flirting with them and stuff – completely legal. I've gone a couple times, though it's not really my cup of tea. On the other hand, my friend loves it."

"That darling blonde who told us where to find you?" Francesca asked.

Koko gave a bark of laughter. "No, Satomi does _not_ like that club one bit. I meant my other friend, Shiori. She loves all that stuff."

"Our school didn't have any of those kinds of clubs." Francesca said.

"Our school wasn't for rich bastards, Fancy – no offense Koko." Giovanna said.

"None taken." Koko replied.

"But we did have the music club with that cute lad that we fought over in first year. Remember him, Fancy?" Giovanna mused.

"Yes, just what was his name?" Francesca asked.

They both snapped their fingers after a brief pause. "Dante Ricchetti!" They exclaimed in unison.

Koko giggled at their synchronization.

"What are you laughing at, lovey?" Francesca asked.

"You remind me of the twins in the Host Club. They're always doing things in unison." She replied.

"We are nothing alike, I'll have you know!" Francesca said.

"Yes," Giovanna nodded, pursing her lips, "Fancy here, likes _red_ apples."

"And Gigi prefers _green_ apples. Can you believe it?" Francesca added, savoring her cappuccino.

"See? We are very different." Giovanna said with as she sipped her iced coffee.

"Completely." Koko replied, biting her lip to stop a grin from spreading.

* * *

"So, what are they like?" Shiori asked eagerly. Despite the dark circles under her eyes, and the gauntness of her skin, Shiori still seemed her usual, cheery self.

"Utterly eccentric."

Shiori giggled.

After Koko had said her goodbyes to her new and very young aunts, she met up with Satomi at the hospital, and the pair had joined Shiori in her room.

"Are you sure they are your aunts, and it's not a scam?" Satomi frowned.

Koko smirked, "I'm positive. No one related to Gran can be that… well, _that_ by faking it."

"Did anyone tell you that your family is perfectly batty?" Satomi asked.

"Every day." Koko joked. "Oh, and did I tell you that my aunts are eighteen-year-olds?"

Shiori's eyes went round as saucers. "What? _Eighteen_?"

"How is that possible?" Satomi asked, slightly revolted.

"I have no idea. Funny thing is, Gran has had three husbands in the past, and the only foreign one was American." Koko said.

"Your grandma has more game than you do." Shiori stated.

"Thank you for reminding me." Koko said dryly.

* * *

Back At The Café

"Fancy, what did you think of our little niece?" Giovanna asked, watching civilians as they strolled past the café.

"Marvelous, lovey, she's marvelous." Francesca replied. "Did you see how she reacted when we teased her about that boy?"

"How could I have missed it? She was redder than a tomato." Giovanna said, "I think she has the hots for the lad, and just doesn't know it yet."

"You think so?" Francesca asked as she reapplied her red lipstick.

"I know so." Giovanna responded with a devilish grin. "And I've got a _simply splendid_ plan that involves a little matchmaking."

"I like the way you think, lovey." Francesca said with an equally rascally smile.

* * *

**Well, now you've met the aunts! What kind of mischief are they going to get into?**

**Please review, review, review!**


	8. You're Crazy

**Hola chickadees! It's been a while, hasn't it? Here's the chapter, it's a bit dry at the beginning but bear with me! I've had a bit of writer's block with transition stuff and how to go from point A to point B. Know what I mean?  
**

**Important note: I will be starting school very soon****(cue the internal crying)**, so I'm going to be very busy the next few days. (I'm in another freaking country and I kinda need to get back to my own country first) Updates will have to be extended to _once-a-week updates_, unfortunately. But, just press the alert button thingy, and all will be swell.

**_Thank you_ to **everyone who has reviewed**! (And to those that are recurring reviewers!) You all are awesome possum! (Which is a good thing) You guys give me motivation! Yeah!  
**

**~I'd like to give a special thanks to **AnimeWriterFreak** for helping me out with some ideas for this chapter and the next chapter. These ideas relate to Francesca and Giovanna's genius plan.~**

* * *

**Disclaimer: I do not own Ouran Highschool Host Club**

**Warning: profanity, sass, and more importantly _GUESS WHO'S MAKING A COMEBACK?!  
_**

* * *

"I talked with Azusa at lunch." Satomi said, sitting down at her desk. "She got the schedule for the tournaments from Coach this morning."

"That means practice tomorrow is going to be extra long." Koko groaned.

"Double time." Satomi replied.

"And by next week, it'll be three times as long." Koko said.

"Pretty much." Satomi shrugged. "I feel sorry for the new recruits; Azusa's got them training nearly everyday." The recruits were fairly new, having joined the team just after summer break.

Before they could say anything else, the bell rang, signaling the end of their break. Koko shifted in her seat, preparing herself for an afternoon of monotonous lessons. Her physical education class was in the morning, and her other, more boring classes were after lunch.

Halfway through her last class, an obnoxious ringing interrupted the sensei's lecture.

'Crap!' Koko thought to herself, 'I forgot to turn of the ringer!' She could feel her traitorous face flush as her classmates surveyed the class to pinpoint the source. The teachers at the school were completely oblivious to students texting in class, but they'll be damned if a cellphone rang during their class, interrupting their crucial lesson.

The sensei walked slowly down the aisle of desks, stopping right in front of Koko's desk. He held out a chalk-covered hand.

Koko sighed, digging out her phone and handing it to the teacher. She made eye contact with Satomi, who gave her a sympathetic look. Everyone in the class knew what was coming – Nakano-sensei was notorious for answering phones that rang during his class.

"Hello?" He said into Koko's phone, "No, she can't come to the phone right now, she's in class." The sensei responded, a wry smile on his face.

A couple classmates snickered. Meanwhile, Kokoro was absolutely mortified.

"This is her sensei… Oh, you're her aunt? Would you like special treatment? Perhaps you can interrupt my lessons everyday if you would be so kind as to grace us with your voice." Nakano-sensei said sarcastically.

More giggles from her classmates ensued; even Satomi was stifling laughter.

He suddenly raised an eyebrow. "Thank you, I do believe I'm available… That sounds like a fine place… Does seven o'clock on Friday suit your interests? Very well. Goodbye now."

The sensei held up the phone, and set it on her desk. "You still have detention after school." He said, turning back to the front. "Now, class–" He said loudly, continuing the lesson.

"What just happened?" Satomi whispered.

"I think my aunt just picked up my teacher." Koko hissed.

Satomi snorted, "Your whole family has better game than you do."

"Satomi-san! Unless you would like to join your friend in detention, I suggest you remain silent, and listen to the lesson."

* * *

"Koko-chan! Koko-chan!" Honey shouted above the noise of the hallway.

Kokoro turned around, seeing the short host perched on the taller host's shoulders.

"Koko-chan, are you coming to the Host Club?" Honey asked, hugging his stuffed bunny.

"Hi, Honey-sempai, Mori-sempai." Koko sighed. "Sorry, I can't go. I've got detention."

Honey's eyes went round. "What did you do, Koko-chan?"

"My phone went off in Nakano-sensei's class. Nothing special." She replied. "Haven't blown anything up yet… Well, this year."

Unlike last year, where she accidentally blew up the hot cocoa machine. It was an accident, which no one seemed to understand. Long story short, that was how she earned her nickname amongst other students besides her close friends, and how she was banned from using the coffee and hot cocoa machines in the dinning hall.

"I remember that! There was hot cocoa everywhere!" Honey exclaimed. "And we had Nakano-sensei last year, didn't we Takashi?"

"Yeah." Mori nodded.

"Well," Koko cleared her throat awkwardly, "I should get going." The tall host's gaze was starting to make her uncomfortable. Did someone turn up the heater? It was only September.

"Okay, Koko-chan! Maybe you could stop by after your detention!" He exclaimed.

"Err… Maybe?" She shrugged. She'd rather just go home and finish her homework, strangely enough, but she wasn't going to outright say that. It would be rude and plain mean.

"Great, Koko-chan! Can't wait to see you there!" Honey said.

"Right, see you later." She replied with a wave.

As she headed to Nakano-sensei's classroom, she wondered to herself, why was Honey so intent on having her attending the Host Club?

She internally shrugged – she would probably look like a weirdo shrugging to nobody – and pulled out her phone to text her brother.

* * *

At The Hospital

"Tell us about our niece, lovey." Francesca asked.

The Italian twins had been lounging in Shiori's room for the past hour, chatting about arbitrary things up until now.

"Hmm, let's see. We've known each other for years – I don't know how long. Her dad – your half-brother – is a lawyer and her mother owns three restaurants. What else? Well, Koko comes by almost everyday – when she doesn't have practice – and on good days she pushes me around in a wheelchair, and on bad days she sits on the bed and tells me about life on the outside." Shiori said.

"Oh, how darling of her." Francesca purred.

"Why do you ask?" Shiori asked.

"You see, Fancy and I have a plan." Giovanna stated, "And it's a grandioso plan!"

"Meraviglioso! Marvelous!" Francesca added.

"It has to do with a lad and your dear, little friend." Giovanna said.

Shiori giggled. "Koko and a boy?" She started laughing even harder.

"What is so divertente, lovey? What is so funny?" Francesca asked.

"I don't think Koko's ever given _romance_ a second thought. She's always been generally indifferent to the whole relationship thing. She wouldn't be able to recognize her feelings even if an elephant dressed in a tutu waltzed into the room carrying a banner." Shiori said.

"This is going to be harder than we thought, Fancy." Giovanna said.

"Rightly so, my dear Gigi." Francesca answered. "We have quite a challenge ahead of us."

"I think I might know some people that could help us…" Shiori grinned.

"I hope you aren't planning something illegal. I'd rather not have to bail anyone out of jail." Satomi said as she walked into the room.

"Where's Koko?" Shiori asked.

"Detention." Satomi replied. She turned to the twins. "Nice to see you two again."

"It's marvelous to see you, too, lovey." Francesca drawled.

"_Absolutely spiffing_." Giovanna added, smirking.

"What did she do to get detention?" Shiori asked.

"Her cell went off in Nakano-sensei's class." Satomi responded.

"Whoops, that would be _my_ fault." Giovanna said, placing a hand on her chest like she was deeply regretful. She probably wasn't. "But, tell me, is this _sensei_ eye-catching? Because his voice is to die for."

"He's not bad on the eyes… Oh, wait! Gross, this is a teacher we're talking about!" Shiori exclaimed. "That is very wrong and icky."

Giovanna raised an eyebrow. "You attend a _Host_ Club."

"That's different. They're my age – legal! They're not like, _thirty_!" Shiori retorted. Satomi just snorted with laughter.

"Mmm. I like an older man." Giovanna said. "They know what they want."

"Gigi, you're going to scar the children." Francesca said.

"We're two years your junior." Satomi said.

"Irrelevant!" Francesca replied flippantly.

"What are you all planning, anyway?" Satomi asked.

"What makes you think we're planning something?" Shiori countered.

"Why else would they be here?" Satomi gestured to the twins, "They're not your aunts."

Shiori huffed. "Fine."

Giovanna took that as her cue to explain. "We are going to get our dear niece and Mr. McSteamy together." She said.

"Uh, Mr. McSteamy?" Satomi asked, cocking her head in confusion.

"Mori-sempai." Shiori clarified with a giggle.

"Oh, him." The blonde nodded. "That's a terrible idea."

"I know, right? Wait, what?" Shiori said.

"I said it's a terrible idea." Satomi repeated.

"Why would you say that, lovey?" Francesca asked.

"It's not good to play with people's feelings." Satomi stated. "It's wrong. And it's bound to backfire."

"Why do you have to be such a party pooper?" Shiori pouted.

"I'm being reasonable." Satomi answered.

"Party pooper." Shiori muttered.

"Now, now, birdies. Play nice." Giovanna said.

"Shiori, lovey, just before Satomi walked in, you mentioned something about some people that could help us? What ever did you mean by that, dear?" Francesca asked.

"I just thought, who better to ask for help with romance than the Host Club?" Shiori suggested.

Satomi scoffed, "Well, now it's bound to backfire." The three girls ignored her.

"What a fantastico idea, lovey! Oh, Gigi! They would be _perfetto_ – just _perfect_ – for the job!" Francesca gushed.

"Not to mention easy on the eyes." Giovanna added, licking her lips.

"I don't want anything to do with this." Satomi stated. "And I am not going to help anyone _when_ this plan comes back and bites you all in the butt."

"I've done this before. It hasn't happened." Giovanna said. "Fancy, remember Sophia from Physics?"

"Of course I remember her, lovey." Francesca responded.

"Yes, I set her up with this hunk of a lad. Perfetto match. Mwah." Giovanna said, making a smooching sound.

"See, Tomi? They have experience with this sort of thing." Shiori said.

Satomi rolled her eyes. "It is still not good to toy with peoples' emotions. An occasional push is good, but I have a feeling that this entire thing will blow up out of proportion."

"Aha! We are giving them a little push. That's all." Shiori said.

"It is just a little push. Un piccolo spingere." Giovanna added.

"Un piccolo spingere, lovey. _Piccolo_." Francesca repeated, using her fingers for emphasis.

Satomi sighed. "Do what you want, but none of you come to me when this blows up, because I will not be helping anyone."

Shiori clapped her hands. "Yay!"

The twins high-fived each other, "Splendido!" They exclaimed.

Satomi felt like bashing her head against the wall. Someone was going to get their feelings hurt, and it would probably be the victims of the whole dreadful scheme.

* * *

The one thing Kokoro hated about detention in a rich school was that it was utterly boring. Usually, in a public school, the kid has to clean the classroom or do homework. At this school, detention consisted of sitting in the same spot for a whole hour writing lines – or longer, if you were unlucky enough. And the worst part was writing the same things over and over and over again. Koko felt like scratching her eyes out it was so dull.

At least Koko could come up with ways to introduce her aunts to her family. She could feign ignorance, and have them show up at the door unannounced. She could also just drop the bomb, and tell them the truth. Neither of those ideas seemed like a very good idea. With the former, she would get in less trouble, and with the latter, she would probably get in more trouble, since she would have to explain _how_ she knew about her aunts. Another idea would be to continue meeting secretly with her aunts, but that could blow up in her face like mixing Mentos with Coca-Cola.

Mr. Nakano was typing away on his computer. The typing was annoying. It was inconsistent, so it wasn't fading away into the background, like the ticking of a clock or the constant whir of a fan. Each time she tried to drone out the clicking and clacking of the typing, she would be brought right back whenever Mr. Nakano paused.

'_I must keep my phone turned off during class. I must keep my phone turned off during class. I must keep my phone turned off during class. I must keep my phone turned off during class._'

She'd already written the sentence almost fifty times. Honestly, she'd rather scrub the boys' bathroom than write lines.

"Kokoro-san, you can go now." Nakano-sensei said.

Koko stood up so abruptly, she knocked her chair to the ground.

"Please try not to destroy the school's property." Nakano-sensei droned.

"Sorry, sensei. Have a nice day." She said, dropping the sheet of paper onto his desk – like he would ever need it. Oh, well.

Mr. Nakano grunted in response. Kokoro made a beeline for the door, flexing her writing hand as she went. It was all cramped from writing lines. Curse this rich school and their ability to afford so many janitors, thus reducing its students to writing lines! That was a mouthful.

Once she stepped outside, she squinted through the fading light to try and spot her brother's car. With no luck, she dialed his number.

"_Hello_?" Haruto's voice sounded rather strained.

"Where are you? I thought you picking me up." Koko said.

"_I have encountered an unexpected problem_." Haruto replied. "_OW! Goddamn it, woman! I am not a freaking punching bag!_" There was some more loud chatter in the background. "_Okay, I have encountered an unexpected, lovely surprise!_" He stated sarcastically. "_Happy now, woman?_"

Kokoro groaned, "Please tell me Gran isn't coming to visit."

"_Gran isn't coming to visit_." Haruto said.

"Oh, thank god!" Koko exhaled. She couldn't have Gran wandering around when the old woman's estranged children were in town. That was a recipe for disaster. Then again, would the old bat really recognize her grown daughters? They did look a lot like Gran was when the woman was younger, though. Yes, this was just a recipe for disaster.

"_Ha, I lied_." Haruto snorted, "_It's not just Gran, she's got some old arm candy named Harold. I think he's going to be her fourth husband. He seems pretty smitten._"

"Bless his soul." Koko muttered. "So, when can you pick me up?" She asked.

"_Not any time soon, that's for sure_." Haruto grumbled. "_The old bat – Ouch, fine! Our dearest grandmother – got herself landed in jail. Something about not having a carry and conceal weapons permit or something. I don't know how she concealed a goddamn shotgun, since all she's got are purses filled with freaking gnomes. Whatever. I have to fill out some forms, and get the bail money. Poor old Harold, bless his weak little heart, is beside himself with worry, mumbling stuff about being the reason Gran's in jail and having his wallet stolen. Poor bloke doesn't realize that Gran would've landed herself in jail anyway_."

"What, did Gran run after the mugger or something? Brandishing her shotgun?" Koko scoffed.

"_Probably_."

Koko sighed, "How am I going to get home?"

"_Get one of your friends to give you a lift_."

"But there's no one around!" Koko retorted.

"_They're probably still in their little clubs doing little club-related things_." Haruto said.

"Ugh, fine, weirdo. Oh, I hate asking people for lifts." Koko complained.

"_Suck it up, buttercup! Ha, ha, ha–_" Haruto hollered, abruptly hanging up.

"Wha–?" Koko stared at her phone with exasperation.

She gnawed on her lip – a nasty habit of hers. Now what was she supposed to do? Barge into one of the clubrooms and ask for a ride? There was no way she was going to call a cab. She'd had one too many experiences with reckless drivers, creepy-as-hell drivers, and near-death experiences. Just generally bad memories, like the one time with the one-eyed driver and his habit of driving on _the wrong side of the road_. How on earth did they get their licenses in the first place?

Suddenly, a rough material was yanked over her head.

"Hey–" Her shouts were muffled, thrashing about. Several pairs of hands clamped down on her arms and legs, prohibiting her from whacking anyone, unfortunately. She could hear hushed whispers as her abductors picked her up. She could tell she was being carried inside, since she couldn't feel the sun's rays anymore.

Koko felt herself being shoved forward, the hands releasing her. She heard a door slam right behind her as she tumbled headfirst into a series of unknown objects. She yanked off the burlap sack, and peered at her surroundings.

From the scant light coming from the gap between the door and the floor, Koko realized that she was in a broom closet. And she had plummeted into the brooms and the buckets. She felt something tickle her lip. When she wiped her mouth, her hand came back with a small streak of blood. She must have bitten her lip when they jerked the burlap sack over her head.

"Hey! Let me out! This isn't funny!" She shouted. She could practically hear the giggles. "! I am fifty shades of pissed off right now! Oh, for Pete's sake, I can hear you, you idiots!" The giggling stopped, only to be followed by loud murmurs.

"I can still hear you." She called. The chatter ceased altogether.

The silence was met with a light groan from within the closet.

And it wasn't Koko.

Well, shit.

* * *

**Dun dun dun... Who do you guys think is her closet buddy?**

**Review, review, review!  
**

**And, as requested, Gran has returned! But with some arm candy? Say whaaaat?**


	9. Little Talks

**Buonjourno chickadees! I am super duper trooper lights are gonna find me, but I won't feel blueeee! (Sorry, the opportunity presented itself). I am extremely sorry that I have not updated! It's been forever! Gah, I'm a horrible person. There's been some personal stuff going on, and, in addition to that, I'm a senior and it's that time of year (no, I'm not talking about Halloween or Christmas), it's the most _not_ wonderful time of the year: uni applications. I'm internally crying. **

**So, to sum it all up: university apps/scholarship appls + personal stuff/issues + school = slow updates. **

**HOWEVER, I will be making more time for this fic (and less procrastination) so I will try to have, at the very least, monthly or bimonthly updates. Thank you to all of you for sticking with me! You guys are awesome possum!  
**

**P.S. Grandma Honda will be showing up next chappy ('cause I know you all love her crazy badassery). This one's a tad short (unfortunately) but I try to keep most chaps at a min of 3K words.**

* * *

**Disclaimer: I do not own OHSHC  
**

**Warning: Profanity, the usual. Maybe some sexual innuendos. (Not much different from the series!)  
**

* * *

Earlier That Day

"Tweedledum and Tweedledummer, come in. Come in." Giovanna hissed into the walkie-talkie. Gigi and her twin were crouched behind a bush, appearing particularly suspicious as they watched the school's dojo.

"_Hey!_" Two indignant voices buzzed out of the device.

"You guys were late for our secret meeting," said Francesca.

"So, we picked your code names," added Giovanna.

"_Well, what are your code names?_"

"Gigi is Sexy Flexy," stated Francesca.

"And Fancy is Fancy Pants!" said Giovanna.

"_Sexy Flexy? What kind of a code name is that?_" scoffed one of the ginger twins.

"A brillante uno for someone as attraente e flessibile as mi!" retorted Giovanna.

"_We didn't understand half of that_," said the Hitachiins.

"The rich are so culturally deprived!" exclaimed Francesca.

"_Are you all just going to sit there and babble, or actually go through with this foolish plan?_" Another voice crackled onto the frequency.

"Roger that, Glasses," said Giovanna.

A fourth voice sputtered through. "_Mommy! You can't possibly call this a foolish plan! It is a great plan, meant to bring together two people that love each other_!"

"_Tamaki, you don't even know if they like each other_," said Haruhi dryly.

Giovanna snickered. "Mommy? Someone has a fantasy."

Francesca whacked her twin on the head. "Don't be so crude, lovey."

"_We're bored_. _Let's get on with the plan_," said Hikaru and Kaoru.

"Roger that," said Giovanna. "Commence phase one of Operation: Catch the Lovebirds."

"_Is this really the best idea?_" sighed Haruhi.

"Of course it is, lovey!" purred Francesca.

"Think of it like _The_ _Parent Trap_, you know, the one with Lindsay Lohan?" replied Giovanna.

"_I think so?_" said Haruhi. She was unsure of how the American movie was related to the idiotic plan.

"Well, the two twin daughters devise a plan to get their divorced parents back together, and it worked!" said Giovanna.

"Si, we saw it three times, and it worked every time!" added Francesca.

"_It was a movie…_" grumbled Haruhi.

The Italian twins ignored the cross-dresser, and finally launched their supposedly brilliant plan. In their eyes, it was brilliant. The plan consisted of ambushing Mori in the school's dojo by turning off the lights, wearing night vision goggles, and throwing a burlap sack over their victim's head. Somehow, they figured sending Tweedledum and Tweedledummer into a dojo filled with expert fighters in the dark was a good idea. Of course, they were wrong and the twins suffered several bruises.

The second part of the plan was to capture Koko and throw her into the same closet as Mori. That part went much smoother than the first part.

Unfortunately, they made a mistake, which they didn't realize until it was much too late. Giovanna blamed her niece's absurdly horrible luck, since it couldn't possibly _their_ fault for the mishap.

* * *

Koko wondered who was the mastermind of the scheme. Definitely not Satomi – she was the least likely to do something so childish. Who was it that came up with the idea anyway? Hey, let's lock two people in the closet together! It's a great idea! Yeah, until they realize one of them has claustrophobia or a fear of darks spaces, only _then_ is there a problem.

"Uh, hello?" she whispered into the darkness. "Are you okay?"

A dark shape shifted. "Think so. How about you?" groaned a male voice. She didn't recognize it.

What was the point of locking her in a closet with someone she didn't even know? Couldn't they have just introduced her like normal human beings? Oh, wait. No one in her family was normal, so that meant that the mastermind – or should she say masterminds? – behind the plan were the twins. Deductive reasoning at its finest. At least her language and composition class taught her something useful.

"All in one piece," she said, "Err… Who are you?"

"Fukui Kenta at your service," answered the boy. He had a serene voice. Koko reckoned that if he spoke long enough with that soothing voice of his, she would fall asleep.

"Nice to meet you, Kenta-kun. And if it weren't so dark in here, I'd say you were bowing," said Koko. She watched way too many American movies. She blamed her brother. Haruto loved any sort of foreign film, especially the Tolkien books-turned-movies, and she couldn't forget the ultimate movie – according to her brother – _Mamma Mia!_

"Maybe," replied Kenta.

After a moment of silence, Koko cleared her throat. "I think I'm stuck in a bucket," she said. Now that all her initial thoughts had been resolved, she realized that she was in fact, stuck in an empty bucket.

"That is most unfortunate," chuckled Kenta.

"I think I'm just really unlucky," said Koko.

Then, the door swung open, flooding the tiny closet with obnoxiously bright light. Once her eyes adjusted, Koko saw some members of the Host Club looking quite sheepish. Her aunts were another matter.

Giovanna had a hand on a cocked hip, and her eyebrows were raised as if evaluating the situation. Francesca had her perfectly manicured fingers tapping her cheek while pursing her lips. The ginger twins had identical, mischievous grins; Tamaki bore a peculiar expression – a combination of fright and sheepishness; Kyoya's face was a blank slate; Haruhi was face palming, and Honey and Mori were frowning, looking incredibly confused.

"Who's the lad?" asked Fancy.

"Fukui Kenta," answered Kyoya. "Son of Fukui Kaede and Kazue, the owners of Fukui Publishers. He is in class 2-A."

"Someone's a stalker," said Giovanna.

"We are in the same class," replied Kyoya brusquely, pulling out his black notebook.

"What are you guys doing?" trilled a cheerful voice. The Host Club, the Italian twins, Kenta, and Koko looked over to see Mori walking down the hall with Honey perched on his shoulders.

"Well, I'm not explaining," stated Haruhi, strolling away. Tamaki was quick to follow, stammering nonsense about daughters and fathers.

"Oh, so _that's_ where he went," said Francesca.

"They do look alike, don't you think, Fancy?" mused Giovanna.

"Not really," said one of the Hitachiin twins.

"They've both got dark hair, and they're both tall–" continued the other.

"But that's about it," they said.

"Oh, would you look at that, Fancy, them lads have got the twin thing down to a tee," said Giovanna with a hint of sarcasm.

Francesca raised her eyebrows, nodding in agreement.

Koko let out an exasperated sigh, "Can someone help me out of this bucket? Anyone? It's not as fun as one might think."

"Why are you in a bucket, Koko-chan?" asked Honey.

"Si, you really should be more careful, Koko, dear," purred Francesca.

"You were the ones who pushed me into the closet in the first place!" exclaimed Koko, pointing an accusing finger at the pair.

"I'd like to second that motion," interjected a more masculine voice. Kokoro craned her head to view the now standing Fukui Kenta. The twins were right, he was tall and he did have dark hair; it was tremendously unruly, sticking up every which way, and he towered over Koko's aunts.

Kenta held out a hand toward Koko who was, and had been for the past while, stuck in a bucket. She glanced at his hand, and then at his face. He was really handsome, like an Asian version of Ryan Gosling.

"Well… _Hi_," she said. She noticed that he had a dark smudge across his cheek, probably from a pencil or a piece of charcoal.

"Hello," he replied with a grin.

Then, something resembling a pterodactyl screech sounded, followed by someone yanking Koko out of the bucket and out of the closet.

Koko blinked. "Did you just lock him in the closet?" she asked, staring at the closed door.

Francesca face palmed. "Sweet Jesus, Gigi. A little tact goes a long way," she said.

Giovanna shrugged indifferently.

"Uh, _hello_?" called out a tentative voice.

"I advise that you let the boy out of the closet to avoid a lawsuit," said Kyoya.

"Oh, please. Not _everyone's_ going to sue you for locking them in a closet," drawled Giovanna.

"Unfortunately, we know that from experience," sighed Francesca.

"Can we, um, just let him out of the closet?" asked Koko. She was quite confused as to what was happening at the moment. What were her aunts and the Host Club (most of them, anyway) up to? Giovanna and Francesca barely new the Hosts, so why would they be hanging out with them?

"Yeah, let him out of the closet," echoed Kenta from behind the door.

Giovanna groaned. "Fine. Doppelgängers, let the poor lad out," she said with a flippant gesture.

"You guys are twins, too," said one ginger twin.

"Yes, lovey, but we don't look identical," said Francesca.

"Just let him out of the closet," whined Koko. "He didn't do anything wrong."

Giovanna's eyes glinted. "Oh, he did everything wrong."

"What?" asked Koko, exasperated.

Francesca elbowed her sister. "Per favore, lovey, there's no need to be so overprotective," she said.

"What's going on?" repeated Honey.

"Hell, I don't know," said Koko.

"It seems your ingenious plan has been foiled," said Kyoya, letting Kenta out of the closet. The boy breathed a sigh of relief and sent a quick thanks to the spectacled host.

"We've got plenty more where that came from," said one of the ginger twins.

Frankly, Koko was annoyed. "What's this about a plan?" she huffed.

"Nothing," chimed the Rinaldi twins.

"I do hope that it doesn't involve me in the future," said Kenta.

"Oh, laddie, don't you worry your handsome little self. They just made a mistake," said Giovanna, motioning to the Hitachiins.

"Hey!" they cried out indignantly.

Koko rubbed her face. "My ass still hurts," she muttered.

"I can fix that," said Kenta with a mischievous smile.

Koko gave him a horrified look. She glanced around.

She had way too much on her plate. She had to deal with her aunts' immaturity, and her gran was in town, and her father didn't know that she knew about her aunts, and everything was not going as planned. Not that she had a plan to begin with. She really didn't think anything through.

"Nope… Nope. Fuck it," she said, walking away from the group.

"She's almost as bad as you, Gigi, with the language," commented Francesca.

"Not nearly," replied Giovanna.

"Should we enact phase two?" asked Hikaru.

"Hush, now, we can't give anything away," said Francesca.

"But, where's she going?" asked Kaoru.

They all glanced down the hall to see Koko's retreating form.

"Hey, Koko! Where are you going?" called Giovanna.

"ARRRGH!" shouted Koko, throwing her hands up in exasperation.

"_Arrrgh_?" asked Honey.

* * *

**Let me know if you liked it! And if you have any ideas or requests for what you want to see in future chapters, let me know! (Anything like seeing new characters, more of certain characters, any scenarios, etc...)**

**Thanks again for sticking with me! **

**P.S. Check out my tumblr (it's a secondary blog) where I will be posting about my fics, future fics, random stuff, and characters and really anything you guys want to see**


	10. She Lit A Fire

**Hello again, readers! I decided to just upload this dialogue-filled chappy, 'cause even though it's real short, I think it's quite heavy on the crazy - and Gran hasn't even made an appearance. **

**Anyway, enjoy! And remember, you guys are awesome. **

**P.S. If you haven't noticed yet, the chapters are named after songs. Feel free to check 'em out (or PM me for the artist name and stuff, but most are pretty recognizable)**

**P.P.S. Has anyone seen "About Time"? (movie) It's got a great moral and the soundtrack is great, especially "Il Mondo" by Jimmy Fontana. I'm a little obsessed with the movie. Heh.**

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**Disclaimer: I do not own OHSHC ('cause if I did, _there would be another season_.)  
**

**Warning: There's a bigger dose of profanity in this chapter, and a hella lot of sexual innuendos. You've been warned.**

* * *

"Maybe I should go after her," mused Kenta, making to follow Koko.

"Oh, no you don't, lad," said Giovanna, dragging him back by the collar.

"Huh?" he said.

"Best you don't, lovey. You barely know the girl," said Francesca.

Hikaru and Kaoru nodded in agreement, slowly edging away from Mori. The tall host was glaring daggers at Kenta. Francesca and Giovanna also noticed the dark aura emanating from not only Mori, but Honey as well. The cousins obviously did not like the boy.

"Tut-tut, off you go, lovey," said Francesca as she made a shooing motion.

Kenta gave her a funny look. "Right, I'll be going," he said after noticing the aura.

After he was far enough out of earshot, Giovanna started muttering insults, both in Japanese and Italian.

"Lovey, calm down," said Francesca, not at all kindheartedly.

"Yeah, we've still got phase two!" exclaimed Kaoru.

"Phase two?" Honey cocked his head with curiosity.

Giovanna whacked the ginger on the back of the head. "Way to go, doppelganger. You keep secrets like Fancy keeps it in her pants," she scoffed.

"I am not a _puttana_!" cried Francesca indignantly.

"Oh, right, I am," said Giovanna.

"What's a _puttana_?" asked Honey.

"Such naivety," drawled Giovanna.

"Don't go teaching the poor child bad language!" exclaimed Francesca.

"You were the one who said it in the first place," retorted Giovanna.

"Don't sass me, lovey—"

Kyoya interrupted the squabbling aunts. "You all realize that Fukui-san went in the same direction as Kokoro?" he asked.

Giovanna looked livid. "That motherfu—"

* * *

Within minutes of her departure, Koko realized, once again, that she did not have a ride home. It was like someone had it out for her (most likely her late great aunt). She stopped in her tracks.

"What to do… What to do…" she mused.

"How about me?" a husky voice breathed into her ear.

"JESUS FUCKING CHRIST!" cried Koko, throwing up her arms in surprise.

"Ow! Geez, woman! My eye!" cried Kenta.

"Oh, for the love of llamas, my hand! What is your face made out of? _Bricks_?" she asked, nursing her throbbing hand.

"What is your hand made out of? Iron?" retorted Kenta as he pressed a hand to his eye.

"Yup, I'm freaking Ironman," she replied sarcastically. "And what are you? Some kind of perv that enjoys sneaking up on girls and feeding them those horrible lines?"

"Some girls find it endearing," he shrugged.

"I just wanted to go home!" wailed Koko. "Oh my god, I think you broke my hand."

"Stop with the theatrics, woman!" retorted Kenta.

"Stop calling me woman! What happened to your gentlemanliness in the closet?" she asked.

"I couldn't tell if you were pretty or not," he replied.

Koko gaped unattractively at him. "You are—just—I don't even know—"

"The term you're looking for is superficial," said Kenta, tapping gingerly around his eye. "Does it look bad?"

Koko pursed her lips. "It looks like you were hit by a camel," she said.

"Why a camel?" he asked.

Koko shrugged. "First thing that came to my mind."

"On second thought, I think I prefer one of the women back there. I like my ladies older," he said with a smirk.

"Oh come on, those are my aunts," replied Koko with exasperation.

"Don't knock it 'till you try it."

"That's incestuous."

"Not for me~"

"Jesus, make it stop," groaned Koko. "I'm sorry great auntie Fernande for shaving your cat because it made me sneeze, and for calling you fat – though you really should've laid off of all the doughnuts – and for stealing all your ice cream – but come on, the double chocolate fudge brownie is sinful – oh, and sorry for setting fire to your favorite teapot," she prattled on to the grand ceiling of the school.

Kenta, on the other hand, was staring at her like she was nuts. "Great auntie Fernande?" was all he asked.

"My mother's from Haiti," said Koko.

"Ah."

"Wait a minute," she suddenly stiffened.

"What? You just realized you're insane?" drawled Kenta.

Koko snorted. "You sound like my brother. And my whole family's crazy, it's genetic. Even the ones that haven't lived with us – my aunts for example – are crazy," she gestured to the air.

"Crazy's an attractive quality," said Kenta.

"You change your mind like a girl changes clothes," snapped Koko.

"Yeah, and you PMS like a bitch," retorted Kenta.

"_You_ would know," countered Koko. "I can't believe you know that song. Now where was I?" she said.

"You were going on about how crazy you are?" offered Kenta.

"No, not that," replied Koko flippantly. "You said that you weren't sure if I was pretty or not in the closet, yet you hit on me when we were out of the closet," she said.

"I know I like my ladies dumb…" said Kenta.

"I'll have you know that I have averagely above average grades!" exclaimed Koko.

"Oh? _Averagely_ above average?"

"I feel like strangling you," Koko huffed.

"I'm into that sort of thing."

"You need Jesus."

"Or sex."

"Oh my god, you said it!"

"What? Sex?"

Koko clasped her hands over her ears. "Blah blah blah!"

"Sex, sex, sex!"

"Still can't hear you~"

"Sex, sexy sex, sexy McSexiness!"

"Sexy McSexiness? What the heck?"

"It's me, I'm Mr. McSexiness."

"In your fantasies."

"Would you like to make them come true?"

"BLAAAHHHH—"

"Um, guys?"

Koko dropped her hands, realizing that she and Kenta were rather close in proximity. She took an alarmingly fast step away from him. Kenta removed his hands from around his mouth (having tried and failed to amplify his voice).

"Erm… Hi, Haruhi-kun," said Koko.

"Why do you have a black eye?" asked the brunette, eyeing Kenta's new shiner.

Kenta turned to Koko. "You said it wasn't noticeable!"

She shrugged. "I never said that. I said you look like you were hit by a camel."

"I thought you were joking."

"Nope," she chirped.

Haruhi sighed. "Did you give him a black eye?" she asked Koko.

"He started it."

"And I'd like to finish it, too," said Kenta, waggling his eyebrows.

"Make him stop—" Koko whined, shoving him away. "This is considered sexual harassment!"

"DID SOMEBODY SAY SEXUAL HARASSMENT?"

"Oh, look, it's Captain Sexual Harassment," muttered Haruhi.

"Who is sexually harassing my daughter?" asked the idiotic blonde. He snatched Haruhi into a tight hug, glaring at Kenta.

"Right now, you are boss," said two sets of voices.

"Jesus! When did you two get here?" asked Koko, turning around. "And you brought the entire brigade!"

"We couldn't leave you alone to the clutches of that canoodler over there!" exclaimed Giovanna.

"Which one?" asked the ginger twins with equally mischievous smirks.

"I just needed a ride home!" wailed Koko.

"I can give you any kind of ride you want," said Kenta with a wink.

"I will smother you," seethed Koko.

Kenta shrugged. "I told you, I'm into whatever you are."

"You need _Jesus_," she reaffirmed.

"You can always settle for a lawsuit," offered Kyoya.

"Again, with the lawsuits!" exclaimed Giovanna, tossing up her hands.

"I think someone is going to lose it," said Honey. Koko couldn't agree more, and that person was probably going to be her in the next forty-five seconds. Then again, Mori looked pretty vexed. She was surprised the Hitachiin twins hadn't started placing bets.

"My yen's on the nutcase."

"Which one?"

Ah, never mind.

"So, how about it?" asked Kenta, a devious smile on his lips as he peered down at her.

"The least you could do is ask me on a date before wanting to get the frick-frack on—"

"—_You are the dancing queen, young and sweet, only seventeen_~" What a lovely ringtone Haruto had set for her phone.

"What is it?" she cried into the receiver.

"_Good Heavens, children these days! Don't even know how to answer a phone properl—"_

"AARRRGHHH!"

_CRASH!_

Silence.

Ah, the scene. How could one possibly describe it? Koko's phone was nearly shattered on the floor, having left a slight dent in a locker. Hikaru and Kaoru had been teasing Tamaki by flirting outrageously with Haruhi, Kenta and Mori had been having a glaring contest, Honey was standing awkwardly between the two, and the Italian twins had been shamelessly ogling the two tall boys' bodies. Meanwhile, Kyoya had been ignoring everyone as he wrote in his little, black notebook. And now, all of them were staring at Koko with varying degrees of bewilderment.

Hikaru held out a hand to his brother. "You owe me five thousand yen."

* * *

**Please Review!**

**If you have any suggestions for what you want to see in future chapters PM me or leave a review! From character pairings, wanting to see more of certain characters, or funny scenes, let me know! **

**I want to know what _you_ want.**


	11. The Wolves and the Ravens

**Hello! I'd say good day, but it's midnight. Here's another chapter, and the long awaited return of Gran! Are you all ready for a horribly awkward and tense scene? 'Cause that's what you're about to get.**

**I've been working on finding a good balance between dialogue and description/narration, so this chapter may seem uncharacteristically descriptive-y. The description isn't boring (I don't think. Read it, let me know). I hope it isn't. **

**Important-ish note: I am not sure how long this will be, but I do have an idea on how to wrap up the story, though there are several things I would like to do before I finish, so don't worry! There's still lots to come! (And maybe a little - or a lot - of future fluff!) I don't think I can give an estimate for how many more chapters. Maybe once I've gotten more written down. **

**Thanks to all of you for sticking around so long! Knowing that somebody's reading this makes it worthwhile!**

* * *

**Warning: the usual. (Profanity, a wee bit of sexual innuendos)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own OHSHC.**

* * *

It was like someone had flipped a switch (after groping the wall seductively for far too long in search of said switch). Koko suddenly found everything hilarious. Her life was a comedy and she had front row seats. Her aunts were all too silly and absurd with their extravagant outlandishness, and her Gran was a very irrational woman brimming with badassery, and her brother was a weirdo, and the host club was overwhelming to say the least, and now there was yet another crazy (and perverted) character who just so happened to waltz into her life via a dark closet.

And she started laughing.

And laughing like a mental patient who'd been pushed past the breaking point.

"Is she sane?" asked Kaoru.

"Hasn't been her whole life," stated a masculine voice (as masculine as Haruto can get).

The peculiar group jumped with surprise. They hadn't noticed the dark-skinned man approach; they'd all been too busy watching Koko have a sort of mental breakdown (she would try to assure everyone that she was saner than a saint, but she couldn't stop laughing).

"Who are you?" asked Hikaru.

"Coconut's amazing, totally awesome, and fabulous—" replied the man.

"Don't forget modest," wheezed Koko through her laughter.

"—And modest brother," he grinned.

"My darling nephew!" squealed Francesca, pinching his cheeks.

"Nephew? Say what?" asked Haruto as he stared, rather frightened, at the woman before him.

Koko instantly stopped laughing.

"You done fucked up now, Fancy," said Giovanna, voicing Koko's thoughts.

Haruto sighed. "What did you do now, Koko?"

"_Why do you always assume it was me?_" complained Koko.

"Because it usually is," replied Haruto.

"Yeah, well, you're _how_ _old_ and still living at home?" retorted Koko.

"At least I get more action than you do," countered Haruto.

"Why does everyone bring that up?" exclaimed Koko.

"I can fix that," interjected Kenta.

Koko pointed a finger at him. "I will castrate you if you make one more comment," she threatened.

"I'm into that," he shrugged.

"You need help, lad," said Giovanna.

"And Jesus," added Francesca.

"A restraining order does wonders," stated Kyoya.

"Oh, so now we've downgraded from lawsuits to restraining orders?" muttered Giovanna.

"How about the ol' one-two?" Haruto mimed punching a victim. Kenta eyed him warily.

"What's your name?" asked Honey as he bounded up to Koko's brother.

"Ah, what a cutie. Haruto's the name," replied Haruto, ruffling the blonde's hair.

"Um, I've got to head back home now, guys," announced Haruhi. The girl muttered something about dinner and grocery store sales after a curt goodbye.

Koko thought that Haruhi was a very straight-to-the-point, no-nonsense person. It was quite refreshing for once, actually.

The group chorused goodbyes, while Tamaki followed the brunette. He was jabbering on about "quality father-daughter time," and that "any daughter of his should not walk home alone." Either that boy was truly crazy, or he had it really bad for Haruhi and had absolutely no earthly idea how to express his true feelings. Koko figured it was a combination of both.

As they headed off, Haruto turned to Koko. "What did you do?" he repeated. "And who're they?" he asked, jerking a thumb in the Italian twins' direction.

Koko puffed out her cheeks, looking sheepishly at everyone.

"You didn't even tell your own brother, lovey?" asked Francesca with genuine curiosity.

Koko blew out air. "Maybe?" she answered. Haruto snorted.

"Okay, okay, fine. I'll tell you everything," she told him. "But, first, where's Gran?" she whispered.

"By the car with Harold," replied Haruto.

She gnawed on her lip, trying to sort out her priorities.

"Well," stated Kyoya. "I believe you have some family matters to sort out, so I'll take my leave."

There was a murmur of agreement from the other remaining hosts. Even Kenta had the brains to assent. After a round of goodbyes, Koko was left gawping at their retreating backs. '_Fraidy-cats_,' she thought.

Now, only Francesca, Giovanna, Haruto, and Koko lingered. They didn't have much time to sort things out, since Gran would most likely come barging into the school out of impatience.

Haruto gave Koko a look, as if to say, 'out with it.'

"Well…" she shifted uneasily.

"Oh, for the love of that all men's attractive behinds, we're Ren's daughters," exclaimed Giovanna.

"Ren?" Haruto cocked his head. His eyes widened in realization. "_Gran's_ daughters? How is that even possible?"

"I asked the same thing when I saw them for the first time," said Koko.

"How did _you_ know about them?" asked Haruto, staring at Koko with disbelief.

Koko rubbed her neck. "I may or may not have snooped through dad's office and found a letter from them," she said.

Haruto stared some more at her, before smirking. "You've got some balls, going through dad's stuff," he said.

"I wanted to know why dad blew up at us at dinner, you know, when he was all 'authority-man' and stuff?" said Koko.

"Right, so that's why he was so uptight," nodded Haruto. "Wait, you've known for _weeks_?"

"Yup."

"And you never told me?"

"Right on."

"Your own brother?"

"Hit it right on the nail."

"Why not?"

"Because you keep a secret like you keep it in your pants," said Koko. "Which you don't," she added.

"Hey! That's like you Fancy!" exclaimed Giovanna.

"No, lovey, that would be you," sighed Francesca.

"I can keep secrets!" retorted Haruto.

"You told on yourself when you stole the chocolate cake mom made."

"That was ages ago."

"It was last month."

"Bah, same difference. Besides, you're the one who went through dad's stuff."

"Yeah, but I've managed to keep it a secret for weeks," countered Koko.

"That's why your hair is so big, it's full of secrets," said Haruto.

"I barely have any hair, weirdo."

"Not the point, sister dearest," replied Haruto. "_How_ are you going to tell mom and dad?"

"_Me_?" asked Koko incredulously. "Nuh uh. Now that you know, you're stuck in this hole with me. What color do you want your coffin?"

"_Fine_. What are _we_ going to do?" huffed Haruto.

"Beats me," shrugged Koko.

"That is the kind of attitude that got us into this mess," groaned Haruto. Koko nearly snorted, usually she was the one saying those sorts of things.

"Oh, dear" said Francesca, glancing at her wrist. "Look at the time, my does it just fly by!" she exclaimed with an airy titter. She wasn't even wearing a wristwatch.

Giovanna nodded in agreement. "I think we should get going," she mused.

"But Gran's out there—" said Koko.

Giovanna gave a flippant wave of her hand, her garish jewelry clinking. "She won't notice us, never acknowledged us for eighteen years, and won't if we walk by right under her supercilious nose!" said the brunette with a pitchy laugh.

Koko glanced at her brother to see his brow furrowing. She stopped herself from making an offhand comment about wrinkles and his age. Instead, she focused her attention on more important things than making fun of her brother. A very mature action, in her own opinion; her late great-aunt – may she rest in piece (and stay that way) – would be proud.

"Okay, I, uh, guess we should get going then," said Koko, gnawing on her lip again.

"Right-o," said Haruto most awkwardly.

The quartet made their way out of the cathedral-like school in an overbearing silence. The twins were suddenly, and quite uncharacteristically quiet. It was quite odd. Koko felt very aware of her surroundings, now that she wasn't surrounded by noise. Haruto was walking beside her, while the twins walked ahead in a stiff version of their flamboyant gait.

"Are they usually like this?" asked Haruto, his voice in a terse whisper.

"No," replied Koko. "They're usually really, really, um… loud?" she suggested, eyeing the twins.

With much _enthusiasm_, the Italians flung open the doors and swaggered out, renewing their walk in full force. They made much of a show of it, making sure to be noticeable despite the few individuals out and about. Koko and Haruto lingered several paces behind, not wanting to interfere with whatever was going on in those twins' minds.

As they walked the expanse of the front grounds, Koko was gauging the possible consequences of her actions, like a child caught having stolen a cookie from the cookie jar. She was just realizing now (stupidly after having done it), how bad things could turn out. _Then again_, another part of her mind reassured her, _Gran might not recognize her daughters after eighteen years._

Yet, placing all her money on that was stupid, like all her other choices. Swimming so far out was stupid, stupid, _stupid_. Running out into the street in a freaking rainstorm was stupid. Getting a tattoo was stupid. Well, not that stupid, but still _reckless_ and a little stupid. Walking into a glass door, pepper spraying her own face, going through her father's things! All stupid! Stupid! Inviting her aunts over all the way from Italy was _stupid_. She was utterly stupid. _Impulsive_, is what she was.

"I know you're stupid, but why not add crazy into the mix while we're at it?" suggested Haruto.

Koko hadn't realized she'd been muttering aloud. She stuck out her tongue at Haruto, despite her inner-mind berating.

Before she could lapse into another round of internal telling-off, they were nearly upon Gran and poor old Harold, except, he didn't look poor at all. In the sense of clothing, he looked dreadfully poor, in a shabby cardigan that looked like it was older than the man wearing it accompanied with a clashing plaid tie. But, the way he was looking at Gran made it seem like he'd stuck gold a hundred times over. It was cheesy, but, in Koko's self-realization of her stupidly impulsive nature, she was not her oblivious self. If someone had asked her right then why an author said the curtains were blue, she would have probably gone off on some metaphorical speech that would make literature teachers weep like their firstborn had been sacrificed to a volcano god.

"You've always had a way with words, but when you're muttering about sacrifices and volcano gods, I'm starting to fear for my life," whispered Haruto.

"Don't bother, you'd be dead before you could," retorted Koko. No point in denying her craziness. It ran in the family, didn't it? Hereditary, genetic, whatever.

"Good lord!" exclaimed Gran. "What took you two so long? _Did someone die?_"

"Ah, only a suitable reason for taking longer than five minutes in the eyes of such a formidable woman," commented Haruto.

"Suck up," hissed Koko.

"Flattery will get you nowhere," said Gran, peering up at them through skewed spectacles. They were sitting on a bench under a cherry blossom tree, no longer in bloom.

Giovanna cleared her throat in a manner of _complete_ subtlety. The twins had since lessened their quick pace, and now stood idle by the Honda siblings. Giovanna stood arrogantly while her sister had taken on a more languid, seemingly bored position, but her eyes flitted back and forth in an anxious manner.

Gran glanced over at the pair, scrutinizing them, as if preparing to give them a lecture on manners and "respecting your elders." Koko had suffered under that daunting gaze far too many times. Harold, of course, hadn't, though he did something quite peculiar, and, in Koko's opinion, very, _very_ brave. Old Harold patted Gran's hand and mumbled something in a wheezy voice that was far too quiet for Koko to hear.

For once, Koko resisted the impulse to do something, well, impulsive. Every fiber of her being protested, but for once, she resisted the urge to do whatever she felt was best – not what she _thought_ was best.

After a terribly lengthy, agonizing silence, Gran pursed her lips (a seemingly hereditary mannerism), and spoke in a slow tone. "It… has been a while," she mused. It was almost as if she was greeting an old acquaintance.

Francesca spoke before her twin could utter a (offensive) word. "Hasn't it, though?" said Francesca.

"Yes," said Giovanna snappishly. "Eighteen years tends to be _a while_."

Koko felt like she was watching one of her brother's terrible soap operas.

"Feels like it has been centuries," murmured Gran.

"Judging by those wrinkles, it probably has," remarked Haruto.

"What color would you like your coffin, my dearest grandson?" asked Gran with a glare.

"Funny, Koko asked me the same thing," said Haruto.

"I think he'll take it in pink," offered Koko.

"Ghastly! I'd prefer a periwinkle blue or a hot rod red," replied Haruto.

"For the love of—!" started Giovanna.

Francesca shut her sister up with a wave of her hand. "To be sure, you're Ren Honda?" asked the dark-haired girl.

"Of course," answered Gran. Harold's hand still rested on her weathered, arthritis-stricken hand.

"So?" asked Giovanna forcefully.

"So _what_, my dear? Be specific, dear, I'm not a silly mind reader," said Gran.

"Do you know who we are?" asked Francesca.

Gran scoffed as if the answer was blatant. "Of course I do, I'm not _stupid_—" Koko almost cringed at the word. "—I am your mother, after all."


End file.
